Grimm II
by Lord Candycane
Summary: Kai and Gerda have been the closest of friends their entire lives. Having grown up together in the Kingdom of Grimm, they would do anything for each other. So when Kai is stolen by the fabled Snow Queen, Gerda sets out to rescue him, joined in her quest by unexpected allies. Faced with immense odds and the Snow Queen's overwhelming power, Gerda will have to risk it all to save Kai.
1. The Tale of the Snow Queen

_Here it is, the second installment of the Grimm' Fairy Tales. I had this story planned before I wrote the first one, so let's get this one started and see if it proves just as successful as the first._

* * *

 **Grimm II  
**

* * *

 _Once upon a time..._

 _There was a young, poor woman who had lost her home, and had been abandoned to the wilderness. Her only family was her young child, who she had just given birth to._

 _But the woman harbored a special secret, one she treasured deeply. For the woman held possession over a magical, ancient mirror. Whoever held the mirror would be able to see whatever he or she asked for.  
_

 _Cast off in the bitter winter, and desperate to save herself and her child from certain death, the woman used the mirror to show her a place of shelter. With the mirror's help, the woman was led to the doorstep of a shining castle, where there lived a young, handsome prince. With nowhere else to go, the woman begged and pleaded to be let inside to spare herself and her child from the bitter cold._

 _But the prince was cold and heartless human being. Repulsed by the peasant woman, he refused and cast her off. Desperate, the woman tried to bargain by offering him her magic mirror. Though she treasured the mirror, for it had been her only possession, the woman was willing to do anything to save her child from death._

 _But the prince was unmoved, and he had his guards cast the woman off the steps of his castle, and back into the unforgiving wilderness, to certain death._

 _With her only hope of survival gone, the woman struggled to at least save her child until the winter storm passed. She covered the baby with her clothing and used her own embrace to keep her warm. Even as the hours passed and the storm showed no sign of passing, the woman continued her struggle to protect her child._

 _But alas, she could not last forever. The freezing cold overwhelmed the woman, and when her strength had diminished, she could not hold onto her child any longer. She let go of the baby, and the winter winds picked the child up and carried it off into the storm._

 _Having lost everything, the woman gave up all hope. She ceased her struggle and prepared herself to accept Death's cold embrace, for she had nothing left to live for. And as she lost the will to live, her heart turned to ice.  
_

 _But, as fate would have it, the woman did not die that day._

 _Instead, the winter winds transformed her. Her skin turned pale, her hair turned white, and her eyes an icy blue. Her heart had been frozen cold inside, so she had been cursed outside to become what she was within.  
_

 _On that stormy night, the ruler of ice and snow was born._

 _She became known as the Snow Queen._

 _In this new form, the winter winds could not harm her. Her grief for her lost child was instead replaced with anger. Lusting for vengeance against the one who doomed her and her child, the Snow Queen returned to the prince's domain to exact her revenge._

 _When he saw the fury in the woman's heart, the prince immediately broke down and begged for forgiveness. But the Snow Queen was unforgiving. He had showed her no mercy in her time of need, so he would receive none in return._

 _Wielding the magic mirror, the Snow Queen used it to curse the prince. She commanded that he become outside what he was on the inside. Instantly, his beauty melted away, and the prince became a hideous beast._

 _Horrified by his ugliness, the prince begged to be changed back, and the Snow Queen told him that there was only one way: if he could learn to love another human being, and earn her love in return, the curse would be reversed. However, as the prince had no love in his heart, and the Snow Queen no longer understood love herself, he despaired._

 _And in his grief, the prince took the Snow Queen's mirror and shattered it into a million pieces. These mirror shards were carried off by the winter winds and blown all across the world, out of the Snow Queen's reach._

 _Afterwards, the Snow Queen and the prince parted ways. While the cursed prince locked himself away in his castle, lost in his own grief, the Snow Queen forged a castle made of ice and snow in the wilderness. This would be her new home._

* * *

"And legend has it that the Snow Queen is still out there, searching for the pieces of her lost mirror," An elderly woman was saying, sitting in a rocking chair by the fireplace and knitting a piece of clothing. Sitting before her were several village children, entranced by the woman's story.

At that point, a man entered the room. "Mother, stop telling the children such tall tales," He said to her with an exasperated look on his face.

"Quiet, dad," A boy in the group said, turning to shush him. "Grandma's about to finish her story."

A young girl raised her arm. "Why does the Snow Queen want the pieces of her mirror?" She asked.

"I was getting to that," The woman told her. "The Snow Queen wants to collect all the mirror shards, for when she does, she will be able to find her lost child. And whenever she finds a child who possesses a mirror shard, she will take him or her away, hoping that child is the one." With that, she finished her story.

"Wow," The children all said in unison, awed by the tale. The man, on the other hand, merely rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Now go home to your parents, and remember to love them dearly," The old woman said to the children. "For you don't want your own heart to become as frozen as the Snow Queen's own."

"Okay!" The children said in unison once more. They got up and began to leave the house, all of them chatting among each other about the woman's story.

As the children exited the door, the boy walked up and grabbed his friend, a girl his age, by the arm to get her attention.

"My grandmother tells such great stories," He said to her. "Doesn't she, Gerda?"

"Yes, Kai," The girl, Gerda replied, twirling her hair around her finger.

The man walked up to the door. "But that is all they are," He reminded them sternly. "Stories. Nothing more."

"Uh-huh," Gerda said. Turning back to the boy, she said, "Goodbye, Kai." With that, she turned and left to her own house.

The man huffed before slamming the door shut. Turning to the boy's grandmother, he said, "Mother, you need to stop filling these children's heads with such tall tales! I don't want any child going to sleep scared that some ice woman is going to come get them in the night!"

"It is not a tall tale," The woman said calmly. "It is as real as you and I."

The man grumbled, shaking his head. Turning to Kai, he said, "Don't believe her! I'm telling you, there is no Snow Queen!" With that, he stormed upstairs to his room.

Kai was about to go upstairs himself when his grandmother got out of his chair. "Kai?" She asked, hobbling towards the fireplace. "Do you believe me? Do you think the Snow Queen is real?"

Kai bit his lip, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know," He said, scratching his black hair. "But if she is, do you think she would come for me?"

The boy's grandmother paused for a moment. She looked like she was thinking of any words of comfort to tell her grandson.

Instead, she merely said, "Anything can happen in the Kingdom of Grimm. But it's best not to lose sleep over it." With that, she blew out the fire, and began to hobble towards the stairs.

"Go to bed," She said to him. With that, she hobbled up the stairs and towards her room, leaving Kai alone in the darkness.

The moment his grandmother left, Kai couldn't help but feel a chill come over the room. Shivering slightly, he turned towards the window to see if it was open.

The window was closed. But something caught Kai's eye.

Far off, barely visible through the frosted mirror, Kai thought he saw a pale woman standing in the cold by herself. He didn't get a good enough look at her, but for a second, he thought he saw her looking right at him.

Then, the woman vanished.

* * *

 _Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.  
_


	2. Gerda and Kai

_Guest: Um, the heroes from the last story are running the kingdom, in a way. That was mentioned in the last chapter of the first book._

 _Al Drin Hoshizora: Yes, there is another one. And who knows, there might be a third._

 _LilactheDryad: Thanks._

 _I am a burglar: Fine._

 _Love Snow Queen: Will you shut up about that story already? It was a different story, on a different archive. It has nothing to do with this story, so don't bring it up again._

 _Guest: Same person, so not responding._

* * *

The Kingdom of Grimm had changed immensely in the last year or so.

After Queen Rosina's passing, the damaged kingdom had reformed itself, with some assistance from the heroes responsible for deposing the queen. The dirty streets had been cleaned of all its filth, the number of homeless and starving residents had decreased dramatically, and the cruel soldiers that had made up Rosina's former castle guard had been replaced. It was as if the kingdom didn't deserve it's name anymore.

The irony was not lost on young Gerda.

It only felt like yesterday when she and her close friend, Kai, were prisoners in the Queen's dungeon. The Wicked Queen had wanted to use the children as part of a spell to make herself young and beautiful forever. Gerda had spent that time in constant fear, dreading the inevitable moment when she would be sacrificed for the vain Queen's spell.

But that was in the past. Now, Gerda was back in her home, living happily with her father and elder sister while the kingdom around her prospered. While she had never truly gotten over her experience in the dungeon, she was at least content that she and Kai had made it out alive, unlike some of the other unfortunate children.

As she stared at the necklace adorning her neck, her face shining in it's reflection, she was reminded of those days. She thought of her and Kai, and how lucky they were to be alive now. But moreso, she was lucky she had Kai.

Kai had been with her in the dungeons. In her moment of despair, he had been the one to comfort her and reassure her that things would turn out for the better, no matter how slim their chances of survival got. And when they escaped the dungeons with the other children, Kai had been with Gerda the entire time, even when the Wicked Queen had fallen.

It had been a year, and she was still looking for a way to thank him.

Lost in her thoughts, Gerda walked out of her room, passing by her father, who was still lying in bed, snoring. As she walked down the stairs, she could fear her older sister preparing breakfast, and smirked to herself. She'd always known her sister to be an early bird.

Walking down the stairs to the kitchen, she saw her elder sister by the stove, preparing soup and humming quietly to herself.

"Belle?" She said, walking up to the older girl.

Belle stopped stirring the soul. "Yes, darling?" She asked, turning to look down at Gerda.

"Last night, I went to Kai's house to listen to one of his grandmother's stories," Gerda explained to her. "His grandmother told us about a woman called the Snow Queen. Have you heard of her?"

Belle paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, I have. His grandmother once told me about her as well. It was such a sad tale."

Gerda nodded, and began twirling a lock of red hair around her finger. "Belle, do you think the Snow Queen is real?" She asked.

Belle froze for a second. "I'm not sure," She said after a moment. "When I was very young, nobody talked about her. I didn't start hearing tales about her until I was around your age."

"Oh," Gerda said, frowning. "Well, a part of me feels she is real. I feel like there was a woman out there who lost something, everything, that was dear to her, and she just shut herself away from the world, with nobody to love her." She paused for a second, rubbing her arm, before adding, "If she is real, I hope she does get a happy ending, someday."

Belle noticed the look in Gerda's eyes. "There's something else you wanted to tell me, isn't there?" She asked.

Gerda's eyes widened, feeling as if Belle had read her mind. She had indeed wanted to tell Belle something else, but she didn't know how to say it. She bit her lip and looked at her feet.

Belle frowned. "Gerda, if you want to tell me something, you can," She said to her. "I'm your sister, after all."

Gerda slowly nodded. "Can you sit down for a moment?" She asked.

Belle nodded, and quickly finished her soup. Then, Gerda led her to the table, where the two girls sat down.

"Alright Belle," Gerda said, taking a deep breath and clasping her hands together. "It's about Kai. We've known each other for so long, my whole life. He's always been with me, even at my lowest." She paused, fidgeting with her fingers, then continued.

"I really. . . care about him," Gerda said, an icy feeling rising up the back of her neck. "And I wanted to show him that I do."

It took mere seconds for Belle to realize what Gerda meant. "Oh," She said, her eyes widening for a moment.

Taking Gerda's hands in her own, Belle said, "Well, Gerda, it's not that hard to let someone know you care about them. You could simply tell them, or give them a gift of some kind. Anything."

Gerda squinted her eyes. "A gift?" She whispered.

It was then that her crystal necklace began to sparkle, directing Gerda's attention towards it. She took her necklace and lifted it up to her face, watching it glimmer and sparkle in her hand.

As she stared at it, an idea entered Gerda's head, and a smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Belle!" She said, suddenly tackling her older sister with a hug. Belle stumbled a bit, but quickly regained her composure and returned the hug, chuckling warmly.

"Your welcome," She whispered.

* * *

In another part of town, Kai watched from a distance away as the other kids played in the snow. He sat on the ground, still thinking about what he had seen last night.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he was struck in the face by a snowball, knocking him on his back. The blow knocked out his senses, and as he struggled to shake off the stinging feeling in his face, he felt someone grab him and pull him to his feet.

"Hey, sorry about that, Kai!" Hansel said to him as he let go of the raven-haired boy. "Want to play with us?"

Hansel rubbed his hand over his face, still feeling the snowball stinging his cheeks. "Um, no thanks," He said after a while. "I was just thinking of my grandmother's story last night."

"About the Snow Queen?" Hansel asked.

"Yeah," Kai said, looking up at the clear skies. "My dad says it's just a tale, but I'm wondering if it's not. What if she's really out there?"

"I think she's real!" Hansel's adopted sister, Goldilocks, said, rushing up to the two older boys. "All these tales are based on truth. They can't have come from nothing. Besides, we've met witches before."

"But the Snow Queen isn't a witch," Kai told her. "She's. . . I just don't know how to explain it." He began stroking his chin, deep in thought.

Suddenly, a voice shouted, Kai!"

The boy whipped around to see Gerda rushing down the streets towards him. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress, and her bright red hair blew in the winter winds.

"Oh, hey Gerda!" Kai said, spinning around to face her, a smile appearing on his pale face. Seeing Gerda always managed to lift his spirits.

The redhead stopped a few feet away. "What are you doing?" She asked. She was holding something, but Kai didn't know what it was.

"Um, nothing much," Kai said.

Gerda smiled. "Could you come here for a second?" She asked him.

Kai turned to Hansel and Goldilocks. "Could you go back to the other kids?" He asked them. The two nodded, and returned to continue their snowball fight a distance away. With that, Kai turned towards Gerda.

"What were you guys talking about?" Gerda asked.

"Nothing, just my grandma's fairy tale," Kai said to her. "Goldilocks thinks it's real."

Gerda's eyes widened slightly. "So do I," She said, her hand tightening around the object she was holding.

Kai rubbed his head. "Gerda, I. . . _saw_ something last night," He said to her. "When you left my house."

"That caught Gerda's interest. "Really?" She asked. "What was it?"

Kai took a deep breath as he tried to recall the event. "When I looked out the window. . ." He paused to sigh, his breath frosted. ". . . I thought I saw a woman outside. She had white hair, and pale skin, and icy blue eyes. And she was looking at me."

Gerda let out a small gasp. "Really?" She asked.

Kai nodded. "Gerda, I think that may have been her," He said to her.

Gerda froze for a second to consider his words. "Is it possible you were just dreaming?" She asked. "Maybe it was a trick."

"Maybe," Kai whispered. "But my grandmother says the Snow Queen will steal any child she thinks is her lost baby."

Hearing his words, Gerda felt a shred of fear fill her soul. "What if she came for me?" She asked, her cheeks flushed with nervousness.

Kai placed a hand on Gerda's shoulder. "She'd have to go through me," He reassured her, smiling. Hearing this made Gerda smile in relief.

At that moment, Kai noticed the object in Gerda's hand shining through her fingers. "Gerda, what is that?" He asked, confused.

Gerda's eyes widened as she remembered what she had come here for. "Oh," She said, and quickly stretched her arm out to Kai. "I wanted to give you something. Close your eyes."

Kai was intrigued, but nonetheless did as Gerda asked. While his eyes were closed, he felt Gerda wrap something around his neck.

"Now, open your eyes," Gerda commanded.

Kai opened his eyes, and found a necklace around his neck, a crystal gem at its center. It shined brightly, showing Kai's reflection on its surface.

"Oh," He said, his eyes wide with surprise. "Gerda, this is beautiful."

It was then that he noticed Gerda's own necklace sparkling. The redhead took her own gem, whispering, "I broke my gem in half to create a new necklace for you. As a symbol of our friendship."

A smile appeared on Kai's lips as he took the gem in his hands. "Thank you Gerda," He said, staring at it closely. As he did, Gerda took her own gem, and pressed it against Kai's, the two crystals connecting with each other.

And as the two gems connected, they shined brighter than they ever had before.

* * *

Far from Grimm, in the snowy mountaintops, there stood a large castle, created entirely of shining ice.

And within the castle, there was a large mirror that lay against the wall. There were numerous cracks on the mirror's surface, and a few shards were missing from it.

At that moment, the mirror began to sparkle brightly. Slowly, the Kingdom of Grimm took shape within its surface, and the glow of the crystal gem emanated from a certain spot of the town.

Slowly, a tall woman stalked out of the shadows, her sparkling blue dress dragging across the icy floors. She approached the mirror slowly, her blue eyes staring at the source of the glowing. She raised her hand and pressed it against the surface of the mirror, taking heavy breaths. A burst of frost escaped her mouth as she spoke.

 _"Finally_ _,"_ She whispered, her voice as cool as ice. _"I have found the last piece."_

* * *

 _There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship._


	3. Reflected

_Al Drin Hoshizora: Okay..._

 _LilactheDryad: Fixed those typos._

 _I am a burglar: You might want to re-think that..._

* * *

Gerda's gem had been shimmering ever since she had shared half of it with Kai as a gift. It had retained its glow even as she returned home afterwards.

"Gerda, what happened to your necklace?" Her merchant father asked her once he saw that it had been broken in half. He was a rather short, portly man, with a gray beard and tired eyes.

"Oh?" She asked, holding the gem in the palm of her hands. "I gave half of it as a gift to my friend, Kai. Don't you know him?"

Her father nodded. "But this was a special necklace," He reminded her. "It's been yours for nearly your whole life. How could you simply part it like that for some boy?"

Gerda flinched at her best friend being referred to as 'some boy'. While even she wasn't sure how to answer her father's question, she felt that she had made her decision out of love.

Before she could reply, Belle happened to walk downstairs. The gem's bright light flashed in her eyes, blinding the older maiden for a moment.

"G-Gerda?" Belle said, using her arm to shield her eyes. "What's happening to her necklace? Why is it glowing like that?"

It hadn't gone unnoticed to Gerda that her gem had continued to glow ever since she'd briefly connected it with Kai's own. She had simply figured it was a side-effect of the gem being split, and that it would wear off after a while.

However, if anything, the gem appeared to have been glowing even _brighter_.

"Is it damaged?" Gerda's father asked. Before Gerda could reply, he wailed, "I knew you shouldn't have parted it!"

"Father, calm down," Belle reassured the old man. "Maybe it's glowing because. . . it was given as a gift to someone very special to her. Someone she loves."

"Who's in love?"

The three whirled around in surprise to see a raven-haired woman standing at the door. They had been too busy focusing on Gerda's glowing gem to notice her coming.

"Snow White!" Belle cried out happily as she saw her friend standing at the door.

"Hello, sweetie!" Snow White replied, walking inside the room and giving Belle a huge hug.

Nearby, Belle's father muttered, "You could learn to knock."

"What's going on here?" Snow White asked Belle as she continued to hug her.

Breaking out of her friend's embrace, Belle gestured to her little sister, saying, "Her gem's been glowing ever since she shared half of it with her friend, Kai. We're trying to find out why."

Snow White's eyebrows furrowed in intrigue. She looked down at Gerda, and gently took her necklace in her hands. "You're saying you gave half of it to your friend as a gift?" She asked, for confirmation.

When Gerda nodded, Snow White's eyes brightened, and suggested, "Perhaps it means you're in love!"

"What?" Gerda asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"Why else would you give part of your gem away to him?" Snow White asked. "It means you have feelings for him."

Gerda was about to deny it, but then she whispered, "Well, it only started glowing after we connected gems together. But Kai's just a friend. . ."

"Well you have been friends for a long time," Her father noted.

Gerda bit her lip, and squeezed her gem in her hands. Snow White rested a hand on her shoulder, and said, "Hey, don't worry. Love is a great thing. I should know; I'm with the most wonderful man I could ever meet!"

Turning to Belle, Snow White lifted the brunette's chin and asked, "Speaking of which, Belle: have you met a special someone, eh?"

Playfully pushing Snow White's hand off of her, Belle replied, "If I did, I'd have let you known first." The two girls shared a giggle.

Gerda looked up at the three, and continued playing with the gem in her fingers. As she did, the gem started flashing, attracting the attention of the four.

"What is it doing now?" Gerda's father asked.

"I don't know," Gerda retorted. She looked closely at the gem. The way it flashed almost made it appear as if the gem was warning her of something.

"I'm going to put this in my room," She said, pulling the necklace off. She walked briskly past her father and Belle and rushed up the stairs quickly. In her hand, the gem continued flashing.

Reaching the door to her room, Gerda swung the door open a little harder than she'd meant to. Striding inside, she placed the necklace on her dresser, next to a portrait of herself as an infant, being held by Belle.

Gerda sighed deeply to herself, leaning on the dresser. The gem continued flashing at a fast pace.

As Gerda stared at the gem, she began to wonder if she'd done the right thing by giving a piece of it to Kai.

As a wave of doubt flooded her mind, Gerda couldn't help but feel a rush of cold air sweep into the room, prickling her skin. The girl shuddered; even though the window was closed, she could still feel the cold air around her skin.

 _Why is it so cold?_ She wondered to herself.

Little did she know, she was about to get her answer.

* * *

Ever since Gerda had left, Kai had merely been sitting on a small hill, observing his new gem. It had been glowing brightly ever since Gerda had left.

Kai smiled softly. The gem was indeed beautiful, even when severed in two. He was somewhat sad that Gerda had severed her precious jewel, one that she had had for nearly her whole life, but he couldn't deny its attractiveness.

He jumped in surprise when he felt a cold hand tap him on the shoulder. Whirling around, he saw Hansel, Gretel and Goldilocks behind him.

"What are you doing?!" He shouted out in surprise.

"That's a nice necklace Gerda gave you," Gretel pointed out, rubbing the gem in her hand. "I think she likes you."

"Of course she does," Kai retorted, pulling the necklace out of Gretel's hands. "We're best friends, remember."

Hansel rolled his eyes. "I bet you like her back," He said, smirking at the raven-haired boy.

"No I don't!" Kai denied. "I mean, yes. As a friend, of course! That's what I meant!" He turned away from the three, and took the time to continue admiring the gem.

"Why is it flashing?" Gretel asked, noting the gem's bright light flickering on and off.

Kai shrugged. "I bet it's nothing," He said, waving the siblings off. As he turned around to face them, his eyes widened.

"Hey. . . where's Goldy?" He asked.

Hansel and Gretel froze, and it was only then that they realized that their golden-haired adopted sister had wandered off.

"Goldilocks, where are you?!" Gretel cried out. However, she got no response.

"Dammit," Hansel mumbled, kicking some snow with his boot. "If she gets herself into trouble, dad better not blame us!"

"Hansel, relax," Gretel reassured him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "There hasn't been any trouble here in a year. I bet she's just fine."

* * *

While her older siblings had been conversing with Kai, Goldilocks had wandered into the nearby woods. She bent down to observe the many lovely flowers in the frosted woods.

"Wow," She whispered when she noticed a sparkling blue rose sticking out of the snowy grounds.

Picking the blue rose up, she inspected it, whispering, "I've never seen one of these before." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed more ice-colored roses nearby.

Consumed by curiosity, Goldilocks followed the trail of mysterious blue flowers deeper into the woods. She noticed that the air was getting colder the deeper she walked through the woods, but she ignored it. She was too focused on the roses.

She finally stopped walking when she reached the end of the trail. She looked down at the roses, following them until she reached the last one.

Then, she let out a gasp.

There, standing at the end of the trail, was a tall, mysterious woman, adorned in a blue gown. She had pale skin, and long, mystic white hair that flowed on her head. The woman's icy blue eyes were focused directly on Goldilocks.

Goldilocks stood, frozen, as she stared at the woman. Her mouth hung open in shock.

After a few moments, she stuttered, "W-Who are you?"

The pale woman gave no response. She merely turned her head away, disinterested, her eyes closing.

She opened her mouth, and a single word left her lips. _"Come."_

Immediately, several dark figures emerged from the woods. Large men and women dressed in ragged clothing joined the icy woman's side. Goldilocks let out a small gasp of terror as she saw that the arrivals were carrying blades.

Without sparing a second thought, she whirled around and ran back towards the village, nearly tripping on her feet as she did so.

The Snow Queen watched the girl run. Her gaze wandered to the Kingdom of Grimm, and her blue eyes sparkled.

This was it. This was where she would find the final piece.

Pointing a rigid finger at the village, she whispered, _"Go."_

And with that, her followers rushed out of the woods and swarmed in the direction of the village in droves.

* * *

 _Read and review.  
_


	4. Stolen

_I am a burglar: I'm getting really tired of these burglar jokes..._

 _Al Drin Hoshizora: Sigh..._

 _LilactheDryad:...That's it?_

* * *

Kai, Hansel and Gretel were returning to the town when they heard an ear-piercing scream coming from the woods nearby.

Whirling around, the three saw Goldilocks racing down the hill, looking like she'd seen a ghost. The golden-haired child skidded to a stop in front of the three, grabbing onto Hansel and Gretel's sleeves.

"Hansel! Gretel!" She shouted, shaking the two vigorously. "I saw a. . . I saw a. . ."

Hansel slapped her hand off his sleeve. "Goldy, slow down!" He said to her. "What did you see?"

Goldilocks spun around and pointed at the forest. "I saw a woman!" She exclaimed to the three, continuing to grasp Hansel's shoulder with her other arm. "She had pale skin, and white hair, and a blue gown, and-"

"What?" Kai interrupted suddenly, a feeling of dread building up in the pit of his stomach. Goldilocks stopped talking, and instead continued to point her finger in the direction of the woods.

Wary, Hansel and Gretel moved Goldilocks behind them, and stared into the woods to see what Goldilocks was pointing at. Kai, meanwhile, stepped forward toward the forest, his blue eyes widening in fear. He was shaking, and not because of the cold.

He remembered the events of last night, the strange woman he had seen. He had just been beginning to write the event off as a hallucination brought on by the cold, but now...

Before he could continue his thoughts, he saw her.

She was standing just at the edge of the forest, vaguely concealed by the darkness of the forests. However, her tall, icy form could not be hidden.

Kai's fears were confirmed as he found himself staring at the same woman he had seen the night before. The same pale skin that vaguely resembled a corpse. The same flowing white hair had hung from her head. The same blue gown that flowed in the wind.

But most striking of all were her icy, cold eyes. Those eyes looked like something of another world entirely.

And worst of all, those icy blue eyes were staring directly at _him._ Or more specifically, his necklace.

It was her. It was the Snow Queen.

Kai was broken out of his trance when he heard the three children behind him let out screams of horror. Evidently, they saw the woman too.

"It's the Snow Queen!" Goldilocks shouted in horror. "Run!" She began to drag the dazed Hansel and Gretel back towards the town. Snapping out of their own trances, the two began to hurry back to the town with their younger sister.

Kai remained, but only momentarily. He could see the Snow Queen's blue eyes piercing out of the woods, staring at him. He knew instantly that he was the one she wanted.

He didn't spare another moment. Turning around, he ran.

The Snow Queen watched him run. As she did, dozens of rugged figures appeared out of the woods by her side, rushing down the hill and towards the town in droves.

* * *

Gerda had been laying in her bed, lost in her thoughts. She didn't realize it, but her gem had stopped glowing.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when a voice from outside her window called out, "Robbers!"

Jumping out of her bed, Gerda's ears were filled with the panicked screaming of the townspeople. A wave of confusion flooded her brain, and she rushed to the window to observe the streets below.

The sight horrified her. She could see dozens of scoundrels, all of them large and rugged, flooding into the town from the hills. The townsfolk were caught in a panic as the invaders inundated their once peaceful homes. Carts were turned over, windows were shattered, and townsfolk were chased into their homes by the rugged men and women.

"What?" Gerda shouted in shock. How had these strange people managed to invade Grimm so quickly? Furthermore, what did they want?

In the midst of the chaos, Gerda could see Kai, running through the busy streets. Concern for her friend overwhelmed Gerda's logical thought, and she turned and rushed through the door, racing down the staircase to the living room.

"Dad! Belle!" She cried out to them. It appeared they were aware of the sudden attack, as they were already barricading the door with whatever furniture they could find.

"Gerda!" Her father said to her, whipping his head in her direction. "Go to the basement and hide, _now_!"

"I have to find Kai!" Gerda said, throwing her purple coat onto her. She rushed to the window, pulling it up before diving outside.

"Gerda, no!" Belle cried out, but Gerda was already racing across the street to where she had last seen Kai. She dodged past the screaming townsfolk and the rugged forest men and women as she frantically searched the area for her close friend.

In the chaotic crowd, Gerda could just barely make out Kai, dashing across the sidewalk. "Kai!" She cried out, running in his direction. However, before she could reach him, she was knocked to the ground by one of the ruffians. The man loomed over her, his sword drawn and aimed at her chest.

Before the man could do anything, an arrow flew into the back of the man's neck. The man let out a choked growl, and collapsed onto the ground, blood oozing from the wound.

Gerda looked up and saw a maiden wearing a flowing red cloak, a bow and arrow in her hand. Standing by her side was a large black wolf. The two faced the band of ruffians. Then, they jumped into the fray.

Gerda couldn't believe her eyes. The two fought the ruffians with amazing skill, the girl piercing some with her arrows while the wolf tore through others with his claws. As she watched, they were joined by more valiant fighters. Quickly, the ruffians began to flee the town.

Gerda felt an elated sense of relief that the danger appeared to be over now that the hooligans were on the run. However, her joy was cut short when she heard a familiar cry.

Whipping her head around, she saw Kai, in the arms of one of the ruffians as they made their way into the forest.

"Kai!" She cried out in horror.

Then, without a second thought, she rushed after them.

* * *

Gerda didn't know what she was planning to do. All she knew was that she couldn't allow these strange people to take her best friend. Even as the ruffians vanished into the forest, Gerda gave chase. Her purple coat flowing behind her, she rushed into the woods after them, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

Then, she stopped.

A tall figure stepped out of the darkness and in front of Gerda, causing the girl to stop in her tracks. Standing before her was a pale woman with icy blue eyes, frostbitten skin, and mystic white hair.

Gerda knew immediately that it was none other than the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen stared down at Gerda, as still as a statue. The only movement was her eyes as they scanned the girl, moving up and down, as if judging her.

Gerda was frozen still. She stared up at the Snow Queen, at a loss for words. Kai's grandmother's stories came flooding back to her, and she was struck with the realization that she had been telling the truth.

 _So she is real_ , Gerda thought.

The Snow Queen was carrying something, or someone. It took Gerda mere moments to see it was an unconscious Kai, held tightly in the Snow Queen's arms. She cradled him as if he were an infant, one hand caressing his head.

Despite her tremendous fear, Gerda tried to speak. "R-R-Release m-my f-f-" She stammered out, trying to sound brave. However, it was transparent how terrified she was.

A smirk appeared on the Snow Queen's face, as if she were amused by Gerda's efforts. She opened her mouth slightly and blew, a wisp of winter air escaping her lips. Immediately, Gerda was knocked backwards, landing on her feet.

As she scrambled to sit up, she saw the ground below her beginning to turn to ice. Panicking, she scrambled backwards, the trail of ice following her. Gerda backed up against a tall tree, pressing up against it in fear.

A large ice spike emerged from the frozen ground, approaching Gerda slowly. Fear crept in the girl's heart as the tip of the ice spike neared her chest. Her breathing slowed to a stop as the ice spike inched closer and closer.

Then, it stopped.

Gerda stared at the ice spike, which had been mere seconds away from skewering her. She looked up at the Snow Queen, who simply stared at her with her cold eyes. Her smirk was replaced with a grimace as she continued to scan Gerda.

After a few tense moments, the Snow Queen closed her eyes and turned away, almost as if judging Gerda has insignificant. Almost immediately, the ice spike retracted back into the frozen ground.

Gerda let out a deep sigh of relief. It was then that she noticed several of the rugged men and women who had attacked Grimm emerge from the darkness and join the Snow Queen's side. They all stared down at Gerda.

The Snow Queen raised her arm, clenching her hand tightly. It seemed she had given a signal, for the ruffians turned and began to slowly wander off. The Snow Queen remained only momentarily, continuing to stare at Gerda.

For a second, their eyes locked.

Then, the Snow Queen turned around, and a flurry of snow engulfed her and the woodsmen.

Gerda immediately sprang to her feet and rushed towards the snow flurry. "Wait!" She cried out, but it was too late. The snow flurry dissipated, and when it cleared, the Snow Queen, the woodsmen, and Kai had vanished.

Gerda stood alone in the forest, her body shaking as she struggled to comprehend what had happened.

Kai, her best friend, was gone. He had been taken away by the Snow Queen.

* * *

 _No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.  
_


	5. Gone

_Al Drin Hoshizora: Um, sure._

 _SpeechBubbleMe: Glad to see you're here! Yeah, I wanted this to involve a different set of fairy tales, while still making clear it's the same universe._

 _LilactheDryad: The story takes place in Grimm (though it won't for long)._

* * *

Gerda did the only thing she felt she could do; she returned home.

She'd wanted so badly to chase after the Snow Queen, to rescue Kai and bring him back. But she knew that it was hopeless; she had no idea where they had gone, and even if she did, she knew it was too far away for her to go on foot.

So she returned, eyes filled with tears, back to the village to relay the sad news.

When she arrived, part of the town was in disrepair after the ruffians had attacked it. Luckily, the damage was not too great, and while a few of the townsfolk were badly wounded, none had been killed in the attack.

As she slowly stumbled across the streets, she heard a voice call out, "Gerda!"

Spinning around, Gerda was engulfed in a massive hug from Belle. Her older sister lifted her into the air, cradling her in her arms. "Gerda, are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Belle," Gerda replied, slightly pushing Belle to get her to put her down.

As Belle set Gerda on the ground, their father stormed up to them. "Gerda, have you lost your mind?!" He boomed at the redhead. "What were you thinking, going out there? You could've gotten yourself killed!"

Gerda flinched slightly at her father's words, though she knew he was just concerned for her safety.

Nearby, the three could hear Kai's father calling out, "Kai, where are you?! Where are you, Kai?!" The man rushed across the street, hopelessly searching for his son amid the waning chaos. Gerda could barely contain her sorrow for the man; she knew she had to explain to him what happened.

Kai's father turned and rushed towards Gerda and her family. "Have you seen my son, Kai?" He asked them. "He was in the fields when the robbers attacked."

Gerda wrung her hands, unsure of what to say. She knew that revealing the truth would break the poor man's heart, but she had to tell him, regardless.

"Kai is gone," She confessed, her voice cracking slightly.

Kai's father's eyes went wide with shock. "What do you mean, gone?" He asked. "What happened to him?"

"The Snow Queen took him."

All heads turned around. Standing in the snow, shaking more from fear than from the cold winter air, was Goldilocks.

"It was the Snow Queen. She took Kai."

* * *

After the town had been cleaned up, the children were taken to Kai's house and given blankets and hot chocolate to warm up in. As they recovered, the children recounted, to the best of their ability, what had transpired before and during the attack.

Hansel and Gretel had told the adults about how they had met Kai on the hill, and how his gem had been flickering mysteriously before going out. Afterwards, Goldilocks had explained how she had wandered off into the woods and met the Snow Queen and her group of ruffians. At first, the adults, including Goldilock's father, had refused to believe it, thinking it was merely the work of a young girl's overactive imagination. However, when Hansel and Gretel confirmed that they, too, had seen Snow Queen, silence flooded the room.

"I saw her," Gerda had finished the story, her eyes dark, visions of the Snow Queen glaring at her with her icy cold eyes still fresh in her mind. "She stole Kai. She was holding him, and then they vanished into thin air."

The air in the room was cold. Everyone was still, trying to comprehend the strange series of events that had transpired mere hours ago.

Eventually, Kai's father stood up and shouted, "What kind of nonsense is this? My boy was not taken by some Snow Queen! Where is he?"

"Thomas," Kai's grandmother said, saying her son's name and staring at him with disapproving eyes. Reluctantly, Kai's father sat down.

"I told you that she was real," Kai's grandmother said to everyone in the room. "The Snow Queen was not make-belief. She is a real person, as real as you and me. And now she has come and taken Kai."

"Well then we have to get him back!" Kai's father bellowed. He sprang to his feet and shouted, "Call the boys! We're going out!"

"Wait!" Belle exclaimed. "You don't even know where Kai is! You'll freeze to death out there without knowing his location!"

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Gerda argued. "Kai is my friend!"

"And he's my son!" Kai's father added.

"But you don't know what's out there!" Gerda's father retorted. "These forests are a dangerous place. And even if you get past them, how can you hope to save Kai with that. . . that _witch_ keeping him?"

"But. . ." Kai's father said, at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry, Thomas," Gerda's father said, truly remorseful. "But it's too dangerous. We can't go and save your son."

Kai's father stood in the middle of the room, frozen in disbelief. He shook frigidly, clenching his knuckles until they turned white. Gerda thought the man was going to explode in anger.

Finally, he slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a dent. "Dammit!" He shouted, and dropped back into his chair, his face buried in his hand. Sweat dripped from his forehead.

Gerda stared at Kai's father. She could feel his pain; she, too, wanted to go out and save Kai from the clutches of the Snow Queen. At the same time, though, she knew that her father and Belle would not approve.

Slowly, she stood up and wandered out of the room. The adults, meanwhile, continued to bicker among one another as to which course of action they should take.

No one noticed Gerda leave except Kai's grandmother.

* * *

Gerda wandered out onto the cold winter streets, her eyes awash with tears. Her hair and purple dress blew in the soft winds as she stood outside. She gazed up at the glowing moon in the winter sky, half-concealed by white clouds. The moon's rays shown down upon Gerda's face, illuminating her tears.

Softly, she wept on the streets. She wept for her friend, who she would likely never see again. She wept for Kai's family, for she understood and shared their pain. And she wept for herself, knowing how powerless she was to do anything about it.

"Gerda."

A gasp escaped Gerda's lips, and she turned around to see who had spoken, wiping away her tears. She saw Kai's grandmother, standing outside the door, leaning on her cane.

"Oh, hello," Gerda said, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Is something troubling you, dear?" Kai's grandmother asked.

Gerda's eyebrows furrowed at her question, and a spark of confused anger erupted within her. "Is something troubling me?" She asked, perturbed by the question. "Of course there is! Kai is gone, and there is nothing we can do to save him! He's your grandson; doesn't it trouble you?"

Kai's grandmother nodded slowly. She looked up at the moon, and her eyes closed. "Ah, but that is not all that is troubling you," She whispered, as if she could read Gerda's thoughts.

Gerda stared at Kai's grandmother, confused. What was she trying to tell her?

"You are wrestling with whether you should go and save Kai, or not," Kai's grandmother said. She opened her eyes, and looked at Gerda.

The young girl let out a small gasp. Kai's grandmother was right; she did wrestle with what choice she should make.

"What do you think I should do?" She asked, staring at the elderly woman. There was a look of helplessness in her eyes as she silently pleaded with Kai's grandmother to give her the answer.

"I cannot tell you what choice to make," Kai's grandmother replied softly. "That is for you to decide. Do you want to save your friend, or do you want to stay here?"

A hopeless frown appeared on Gerda's lips. She clutched her hand over her chest, where her gem was normally located.

"Do what you think is best," Was the old woman's advice. "And whichever choice you make, remember that God is watching over you." With that, she turned and limped back into the house, leaving Gerda alone.

The redhead stared at the closed door. Her gaze wandered to the window, where she watched as her neighbors sat in the warmth of the fireplace. A part of her wanted to join them.

But as small snowflakes floated to the ground before her, she remembered that Kai was in danger, and somebody needed to save him.

Slowly, Gerda turned and looked up at the winter sky. She could see the winter winds blow across the town and over the forest.

Gerda wasn't sure why, but she almost felt like the winter winds were guiding her. For how long, though, she wasn't sure.

The young girl turned back, and stared back at her home. For a moment, she wanted to turn back and return to it, and snuggle up in her bed, with her father and Belle by her side.

But by then, she already knew what choice she had made.

She just hoped her family would forgive her for it.

* * *

Coldness. That was the first thing Kai felt.

There was an icy feeling beneath him as he awoke. His breathing was heavy and his vision was clouded. Struggling to get up, he pushed his hands down on the ground, and was surprised to feel hardened ice underneath him.

As Kai's vision returned to him, he found he was lying in a large ice chamber. The floors, the corridors, and the ceilings were all made out of cold, shining icy. He could tell instantly that he was far away from home.

"Where am I?" He asked aloud, his head whipping to the sides, alarmed. He rubbed his arms, feeling the coldness of the chambers seep into his skin.

The boy felt another presence in the chamber. As he stood up, he looked around, trying to detect the other presence that was with him.

"Who's there?" He asked, frightened. "Show yourself!"

Kai heard heavy breathing, followed by a burst of icy wind blow across his face. He turned to stare into the massive abyss of darkness in one corner of the chambers. Somehow, he could tell that whoever was with him, was concealed within the dark.

Slowly, a tall figure appeared out of the darkness. He saw her blue eyes illuminate first, followed by the rest of her tall, lithe form as his captor made himself known.

Kai held his breath as he found himself face-to-face with the Snow Queen. The woman stared down at him, silently commanding his utmost respect and fear.

For a few, tense seconds, Kai and the Snow Queen simply stared at each other. Cold, unfeeling eyes gazed into fearful, meek eyes.

Finally, the Snow Queen spoke. "Welcome, Kai," She whispered, her voice like the winter breeze. Her voice was emotionless, as was the expression on her face.

Kai eventually mustered up the courage to respond. "Who are you?" He asked.

"I am the Snow Queen," The ice woman replied, her eyes moving to observe Kai, or more specifically, the amulet around his neck.

"Fear not," The Snow Queen whispered to him, her eyes sparkling as they were reflected off the surface of the gem. "For you are with me now."

* * *

 _Decisions are the hardest things to make, especially when it is a choice between where you should be and where you want to be.  
_


	6. Imprisoned

_I am a burglar: Ugh._

 _Al Drin Hoshizora:...She already made her choice._

 _LilactheDryad: No he doesn't._

* * *

Kai was breathless.

As he stared up into the crystal blue eyes of the Snow Queen, he could feel his blood run cold. She was smiling down at him, but she didn't seem happy. Her lips were curled upwards, but her eyes were cold and unfeeling. He could not tell what emotions she was feeling, if she had any at all.

"Are you frightened?" The Snow Queen asked, her freezing breath biting Kai's cheeks. "You should not be. I will not hurt you."

"W-What do you want?" Kai asked, instinctively gripping the gem around his neck.

The Snow Queen's smile vanished. "I want what has been _stolen_ from me," She whispered, her voice like a hiss. She finally showed some hint of an emotion. "I want the thing that I loved and lost. I want my _child_."

As she spoke, spikes of ice began to grow from the walls and floors, sending shivers of fear coursing through the young boy. Seeing this, the Snow Queen took a deep breath, closing her eyes and inhaling.

When she opened her eyes, she extended her arm and said, "You hold the key to finding what I have lost."

It took Kai a few moments to realize that she was referring to none other than his gem. "This?" He asked, holding out the necklace. The gem in the center of it sparkled in the gaze of the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen's blue eyes glowed as she stared down at the gem. She gasped in anticipation, licking her lips excitedly. Like a starving person being offered food, the Snow Queen reached out and tried to snatch the gem out of Kai's hands, but the boy pulled his arm back, out of her grasp.

"Why did you bring me here?" He demanded, dangling the gem away from the Queen. "Tell me."

The Snow Queen clenched her fists, clearly impatient. "Because there was a chance that you are the one," She explained. "That you are the lost child."

"But that's impossible," Kai retorted. "My mother died years ago."

"Nothing is impossible, Kai," The Snow Queen replied coolly. "If you give me the gem, we could both find out the truth."

"Only if you let me go," Kai demanded, clenching the gem in his hands.

The Snow Queen hissed, clearly wanting to take the gem for herself, but she finally relented and said, "If you hand over the gem, I will let you go."

Kai looked down at the gem in his hands. He knew that if he gave it up, he would be giving away Gerda's token of friendship. But at the same time, it was better than never seeing Gerda again.

"Fine," He said, handing the gem over. Immediately, the Snow Queen grabbed it out of his hands, clutching it to herself greedily. There was a wide grin on her face as she stared down at the gem in her hands, tracing her finger across its surface.

"Yes," She whispered, her eyes sparkling. She began to giggle to herself.

"Will you let me go, now?" Kai asked, hopeful.

The Snow Queen turned to stare at Kai. After a moment's pause, she sneered, "Not yet."

"What?" Kai shouted in disbelief. "But you told me you'd let me go!"

"Once my mirror is completed, I'll see whether or not you are the one," The Snow Queen said, turning and walking briskly out of the room. "If you are not, _then_ you are free to go. But if you are. . . you will remain with me _forever_."

Enraged, Kai lunged towards the Snow Queen. Before he could reach her, however, the Snow Queen nonchalantly summoned several ice spikes to block the room's entrance, trapping him inside.

"You said you'd let me go!" Kai shouted, gripping the ice spikes and trying futilely to break them. "You lied to me!"

But the Snow Queen took no notice. Instead, she just strode down the hallway, continuing to stare absentmindedly at the gem she was holding in the palm of her hand, ignoring Kai's shouts of rage from behind her.

* * *

"Gerda has gone missing!"

Back at the town, news that the young girl Gerda had vanished shortly after Kai's own disappearance had spread fast. Her neighbors quickly began to search the town, hoping to try and find the girl, to no avail.

"I knew I shouldn't have left her out of my sight!" Gerda's father wailed to Belle after the search had turned up no results. "First Kai, now my own daughter!"

"But what could have happened?" Belle asked, filled with concern.

"It must have been those ruffians!" Her father bellowed, his voice booming. "They must have come back and taken my daughter!" His face turned red, and he began swinging his arms in a rage.

"Well, when I find them, I'm going to. . . going to. . ." The man stopped, though, as he had utterly worn himself out. He collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily.

"Father, you're tired," She said to him. "You need to get some rest."

"But. . . Gerda. . ." The man huffed, his eyes filled with worry.

"You won't be able to find her in the state you're in," Belle told him, helping him to his feet and leading him upstairs. "Come on, get some rest, father."

Bringing her father into his room, Belle gently set him down in his bed. "Get some rest, father," She said, kissing him on the forehead. "Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, Belle," Her father said, his eyes heavy. He slowly closed them, and began to dose off to sleep.

Once she was sure her father was asleep, Belle left the room, walking into the hallways to try to think. She turned her head towards Gerda's room, and was intrigued when she saw a strange glowing coming from inside.

Intrigued, Belle wandered into Gerda's room. "What is this?" She asked, finding Gerda's gem lying on the dresser. It was glowing once more, but this time, Belle could see something else.

Peering down into the center of the gem, Belle let out a gasp of horror.

There, within the gem, she saw Gerda. The young girl was in the cold, winter forest, stumbling aimlessly through the woods. Her hair was blowing in the wind, and her face was ghostly pale.

"Gerda!" Belle let out a shout of shock. So her sister was in the forest. But why?

It took Belle only a few seconds to realize the answer. Without a second thought, Belle took the necklace and tucked it into her pocket, and raised out of the room. As she did, she passed by her father's room, and was tempted to wake him up, but decided against it. Her sister did not have much time as it was.

Practically flying down the stairs, Belle took her winter coat before bursting through the door. Pulling her hood over her head, Belle ran down the street and towards the forest. A few people called out to her, but she ignored them. The only thing on her mind was Gerda.

Racing across the fields, Belle reached the forest. She paused for only a moment, looking around as she tried to decipher which direction to take. In her pocket, she noticed the gem start to glow.

Taking out the gem, Belle held it out, aiming to the right. The gem instantly began to glow brightly. Belle then turned towards the left. As she did, the gem lost its glow.

Taking the right direction, Belle ran into the forest, racing after her sister. She knew that the gem would guide her on her journey.

She just wasn't sure how much time she had left.

* * *

Deep in the woods, Gerda wandered through the forest, lost in the blizzard.

Shortly after she had left Grimm in her pursuit of Kai, a winter storm had brewed in the forest, catching Gerda totally off guard. By that time, she was too far away from the town to go back, and had been caught in the middle of the storm.

Shielding her face, Gerda braved forward, struggling to walk in the midst of the flurry. Walking was strenuous, the snow below her ankle deep, her feet sinking in with each step. Small bits of ice struck Gerda's skin, sending small irritations coursing through her. In spite of this, she continued forward.

"For Kai," She kept whispering to herself.

Forcing her eyes open, Gerda thought she saw a castle nearby. For a moment, she wondered if it was the Snow Queen's castle.

Before she could think, a blast of snow sent Gerda soaring down a hill. The girl let out screams of pain as she stumbled down the hill, powerless to stop herself. She came to a stop near the edge of the castle, at the bottom of the hill.

Groaning, Gerda struggled to get up. As she did, she looked up at the castle. It was a truly magnificent sight, much more splendid than the castle back at Grimm. It may not have been as large, but it was much more beautiful to behold.

The castle seemed abandoned. Forcing herself to stand, Gerda began to wander towards the castle. For some reason, the storm didn't seem to touch the fortress.

Gerda could only walk a few feet before collapsing at the castle steps. She lay on the ground, a few inches away from the door, out of breath. After a few moments, she mustered up the strength the lightly knock on the door. She doubted anyone was there, but it was worth an effort. Immediately afterwards, Gerda rested on the small staircase.

Gerda was about to pass out when she heard the sound of the door swing open, causing a burst of wind to hit her face. Before she could even move, she felt a gust of wind fly past her. Then, within seconds, the door slammed shut.

Gerda's eyes were wide open. She was breathing heavily, looking around to see what had opened the doors. Surely they couldn't have opened by themselves.

And then, Gerda heard a deep, menacing growl behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

Gerda's heartbeat accelerated as she heard the voice. It didn't sound like a normal man; it sounded _beastly._

It was then that Gerda noticed a massive shadow looming over her, much larger than any regular human. Instantly, she knew it wasn't the Snow Queen or one of her ruffians. It was something else entirely.

Gerda heard deep growling, like a wolf. But as she turned, shaking, to look at the creature, she felt her blood run cold at what she saw. She almost wished it was a wolf, for what she got instead was infinitely more terrifying.

"You _dare_ trespass onto _my_ castle?!" The _thing_ growled in fury, its wolfish eyes red with anger. The creature bared its fangs as it glowered down at the girl.

"Please no. . ." Gerda begged, trembling in terror. Her eyes were tearing up from utter horror. Her heart wasn't beating anymore.

"You don't _belong_ here!" The thing bellowed out, causing Gerda to recoil in fear. "There is only one place for those to dare to trespass into my fortress." With that, the creature loomed over Gerda, and reached out, revealing two furry, clawed paws.

"No," Gerda whispered as the creature came even closer. "Please, no! _No_!"

Her screams of terror echoed across the entire castle. Then, suddenly, her screaming died off, and was replaced with deathly silence.

* * *

 _True wisdom comes in understanding that sometimes, you are both the prison and the key._


	7. Trapped

_SpeechBubbleMe: Thanks._

 _I am a burglar: Uh-huh..._

 _Al Drin Hoshizora: Wolf-_ _ **ish.**_ _Not wolf. There's a difference. Besides, it's pretty clear who the creature is._

 _LilactheDryad: Interesting theories. Let's see how those pan out._

* * *

Belle had been baring the harsh weather the winter winds had unleashed upon her ever since she had left the Kingdom of Grimm and entered into the foreboding forest alone. For hours, she had pressed forward, blinded by the darkness of the night and with only one source to guide her; Gerda's gem. Without it, she would have been totally lost.

She didn't know why the gem was acting this way. For years, it had merely been a pretty accessory that made Gerda stand out more in appearance, but other than that, there was little to separate it from any other regular gem. But now. . . she was beginning to wonder how she and her father had never noticed its special powers before. When she found Gerda, she would have to have a talk with her regarding it.

The gem was currently glowing brightly, signalling to its wearer that Gerda was in the current direction, and close by. In the hours that had dragged on, the gem had slowly grown brighter, and Belle could tell that she was coming closer to finding her sister. It was a small relief in the midst of the burden she was faced with, what with facing the harsh weather and darkened skies. Unfortunately, the image of Gerda had vanished within the gem's center, so she had no idea what situation the girl had found herself in.

As Belle continued trudging through the snow, she squeezed her eyes shut as the gem suddenly began flashing, as if it were trying to tell her something. Belle forced her eyes open, and cupped the gem in her hands to dim its bright light. It was only when she looked up that she saw why it was flashing.

Standing in the center of the forest was a large castle. For some strange reason, the snowstorm didn't seem to touch it.

As Belle gazed upon the fortress, she unconsciously moved her arm, and by extension the gem, away from the castle. Immediately, the gem's glowing died down.

Belle gasped. Quickly, she aimed the gem in the direction of the castle. Instantly, the gem began to glow once more.

"She's in there. . ." Belle whispered breathlessly. She stared at the castle, drawn to it. She could hear a voice in the back of her head, whispering to her to go forth, to enter the castle and rescue her sister.

And she listened to that voice.

* * *

The castle gates opened before Belle even touched the doorbell. It unnerved her for only a moment, but she set aside her concerns and entered the castle nevertheless. Her only concern at the moment was to find Gerda.

Pulling off her snow-soaked coat, Belle set it on a nearby chair and observed the castle's interior. Despite the fortress' outward appearance, inside it gave Belle a sense of insecurity. The hallways were long and dark and empty, not a soul to be seen. Judging from the castle's slightly decayed appearance, it appeared to have been abandoned for years.

It confused Belle as to why Gerda would come here of all places. Nevertheless, she pulled out the gem, which continued to glow. She knew that wherever her sister was, she was inside the castle.

"Gerda!" She called out, hoping her sister would answer her. Unfortunately, she received no reply.

With a sigh, Belle continued to use the gem as her guide. It led her down the dark hallway, illuminating in the darkness, taking her to a dark passageway deep in the castle. With each step she took, the gem increased in brightness. She knew that she was closer to finding her sister.

Reaching a small door, Belle opened it, and immediately found herself at the top of a staircase. At the bottom of the staircase was a darkened dungeon.

At that moment, Belle knew she had found her sister. "Gerda!" She called down into the darkness.

Her heart soared when a voice she recognized called back up, "Belle?"

Quickly, Belle descended down the castle steps, reaching the dungeon in seconds. She raced through the dark hallway, following the source of Gerda's voice until she reached one cell in particular.

Inside, she saw an imprisoned Gerda, sitting gloomily in the middle of the cell.

"Gerda!" Belle called out, gripping the tiny cell bars and pulling on them, trying to get them to break.

Gerda looked up, and her eyes widened and she let out a gasp. "Belle?" She whispered once more, springing to her feet and racing towards the door, her only separation from her elder sister. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _doing_ here?" Belle retorted. "You have a lot of answering to do once I bust you out." She began looking around the hallway for something she could use to open the locked door.

"Belle, you don't understand," Gerda said, trying to sound calm. "You have to get out of here."

Belle grabbed a sword from a suite of armor standing nearby. "I did not walk _hours_ in the freezing cold looking for you just to turn back," She said, wielding the sword in her hands. "Now step backwards."

Gerda reluctantly obeyed. Immediately, Belle began hacking away at the door with the sword, trying to break through it. The sword wedged itself deep in the wooden door, chipping away at it slowly.

Gerda watched on, and her eyes widened when she noticed something Belle did not see. "Belle, look out!"

Belle stopped and turned around, letting out a gasp. At the end of the hallway, a tall, dark figure stood, shrouded in darkness. In her rush to free her sister, Belle had not noticed the figure appear.

"It's him," Gerda whispered in pure horror, shrinking down in her cell. Belle spared only a moment's glance at her sister, before focusing her eyes on whomever was standing in the dark hallway.

For a few moments, the figure simply stood still, like a statue. But then, it spoke.

"What are you doing in my castle?" He asked, its voice echoing across the hallway, like a chorus. The thing's voice sent chills running down Belle's spine. Gerda, meanwhile, was quaking with fear.

Despite her own uncertainty, Belle responded. "I'm here to release my sister," She said. "Please, whoever you are, let her go."

"Your sister dared to trespass onto _my_ castle," The figure replied with a growl. "She is paying the price for her sins."

"But she's only a child!" Belle argued. "Surely she can be forgiven!"

"Enough!" The figure bellowed furiously. "Leave this castle, before you suffer the same fate as hers."

Belle stiffened. Her eyes narrowed at the figure, and she asked, "Who are you? Let me see your face."

Belle detected the slightest movement in the figure. It swayed slightly before coming to a stop. It appeared that her question had unnerved him.

"Why did you come here?" The figure asked. It took Belle a few moments to realize he was talking to Gerda, not her.

Gerda took a deep breath, and answered. "I am looking for my friend, Kai. He was taken by the _Snow Queen_."

At the mention of the Snow Queen's name, the figure recoiled, letting out a fearful gasp and shrinking into the darkness.

"You dare mention her name in my castle?" The figure whispered. He sounded more frightened than angry. His head whipped from side to side, as if thinking the Snow Queen was going to appear in person.

"Yes," Gerda said. "You must release me so I can find the Snow Queen."

The figure suddenly hunched over, its fur bristling. "You dare mention that _witch's_ name?!" He asked again, only this time, he did sound angry. His fists clenched together, shaking furiously. His breathing deepened, and Belle could faintly see his eyes darken in the shadows.

The figure advanced forward. "No one is allowed to speak her name here!" He bellowed, his footsteps booming as he approached the cell. "Especially not some little peasant wretch!"

"Keep away from her!" Belle demanded, racing to protect her younger sister from the figure's wrath. Alas, she was barely even half the figure's size, and she was knocked away, as if the figure was swatting a fly. Her sword clattered onto the ground nearby.

Belle gasped. She thought she had felt _fur_ on the figure's massive arm as he brushed past her.

She didn't have much time to dwell on that, however, as the figure grabbed the cell door and ripped it open with his bare hands, throwing it against the wall. Gerda's screams rang out of the cell as the figure stormed into the cell and grabbed her by the scruff of her coat, lifting her into the air.

"I'll make you regret coming here!" He threatened. His face was visible to Gerda, who choked on her own breath from sheer terror. She squirmed in his grip, but it was no use.

Desperate to protect her sister, Belle ran up to the figure. "Let go of her!" She demanded as she grabbed hold of his arm, trying to pry his grip from Gerda. Irritated, the large figure wrenched his arm back, accidentally knocking the gem out of Belle's pocket. It clattered onto the hard floorboards, glowing dimly.

The figure recoiled upon seeing the gem, releasing Gerda, who landed upon the ground. She began coughing and rubbing her sore throat, whereas the figure slunk away from the gem, staring at it warily.

"Gerda, are you alright?" Belle asked, rushing to her sister's side. Gerda nodded, and looked at the cowering figure, and then at the gem.

"You took my gem?" Gerda asked Belle as she scooped the glowing necklace into her hands. She lifted it into the air, in full view of the figure.

"Get that thing away from me!" The figure demanded, backing away quickly. He did not sound angry or vicious anymore, but frightened and cautious.

"What, you mean this?" Gerda asked, turning the gem in the figure's direction. It shown at the figure for a second, allowing Belle to briefly get a look at the figure's face.

She let out a gasp at what she saw. The gem only illuminated the figure's face for a moment before he turned away from it, but it was most definitely not a human face.

"Keep away from me," The figure said in a begging tone, his voice just barely above a whisper. He was covering his body with his cloak, almost like a child hiding under his bed covers.

Gerda and Belle exchanged glances, confused at the figure's strange behavior. Nevertheless, Gerda realized that she now had an advantage over the large figure.

"You know something about this necklace, don't you?" Gerda asked, approaching the figure while keeping the gem raised. "You seem to recognize it, it seems."

"Yes, now get it away from me!" The figure demanded.

"No," Gerda replied coolly, a confident grin appearing on her face. "I have a few questions for you, and you are going to answer them. But first, you will show us your true face!"

"No!" The figure shouted, concealing his face with his cloak.

"You _will_ show us!" Gerda commanded, the gem shining brightly in her hands. "And you will show us _now_!"

As if unwillingly, the figure slowly, hesitantly, turned to face Gerda and Belle. The gem shown in his face, casting off the shadows and letting the two girls see him for what he truly is.

Belle let out a gasp. Even Gerda was temporarily stricken speechless, for she herself had only gotten glimpses of the thing's face before.

The thing was. . . _inhuman._ His face seemed like a combination of a wolf, a cat, and a ram. Long, dark fur sprouted across his face and over his head, forming a sort of mane of sorts. Large fangs sprouted from his mouth like spikes. His eyes eyes were a dark yellow, with black, soulless pupils in the center of it. And he had two large horns atop his head, shaped like a goat's.

This man was a Beast.

The figure, his face revealed, closed his eyes and took a deep, long breath. He almost seemed to be waiting for the two women to scream out in terror, or hurl insults at him for his grotesque appearance.

Instead, however, Gerda whispered, "I know who you are."

The Beast opened his eyes, staring down at Gerda. For once, his gaze was not on the gem.

"You are the one from the Snow Queen's tales," Gerda said breathlessly. "You are the prince."

* * *

 _The beauty on the inside, will determine the ugly on the outside.  
_


	8. Cursed

_I am a burglar: I don't think you'd want that gem, unless you want the Snow Queen to come for you._

 _Al Drin Hoshizora: No, it was Tom Marvolo Riddle. WHO DID YOU THINK IT WAS?!_

 _LilactheDryad: I have no idea what you just said._

* * *

Once the two sisters had been made aware of whose castle they had stumbled inside, Gerda had forced the Prince (or Beast; which she felt was a more fitting name) to take them out of the dungeons and upstairs. The cursed prince had clearly been unwilling, but Gerda wielding her gem almost seemed to force compliance out of him.

Once the three had left the dungeons and were walking through the dark hallways, Gerda looked around and said, "Does anyone else live here? This seems like a very large place for one man."

"This used to be home to over a hundred people," The prince replied as he led the two girls through the castle, not turning to face them as he spoke. "There were dozens of maids and servants, always there to tend to my every need. But that all changed after that. . . _witch_ came knocking on my door. Now, there is only me."

Gerda and Belle could hear the prince breathing deeply, as if the mere thought of the Snow Queen infuriated him. On one hand, they could understand his anger and hatred towards the woman. But on the other hand, they also couldn't help but feel as if he had deserved his punishment.

"It must be lonely, living here with no form of company," Belle said to the Beast with a shrug.

"It is a blessing," The Beast scoffed in response, turning to look over his shoulder at Belle for only a moment. "The beastly form that witch wrought upon me wasn't the only curse. No, the true curse was having to live in this form, surrounded by normal people, and having to bear looking into their faces each day, all the while hearing the things they say about you when you aren't looking. It was a welcomed blessing when those ungrateful fools fled my castle! Then, I could have peace."

A cold silence filled the air as the Beast led the two girls to the living room. The walls were damp, the paint having peeled off years ago. There were claw marks embedded in the walls, sending shivers down Gerda's spine. For a few seconds, she imagined those claw marks on human flesh.

The Beast grimly sank down into his chair in the middle of the room. His head lowered and his breathing deepened, and for a moment, he looked almost like a still corpse.

Eventually, he whispered, "Why have you come?"

Gerda grasped the gem in the palm of her hand, wondering for a moment if the Beast was worthy of an answer. Eventually, she felt there was no need hiding the truth.

"I'm looking for my friend, Kai," Gerda explained. "He was taken by the Snow Queen. Do you know where he is?"

The Beast snorted. "All I know is that if he was taken by the Snow Queen, he's as good as dead."

"Don't day that!" Gerda snapped at him, anger welling deep inside her. "Kai's grandmother told me that the Snow Queen would only take a child if she thought he was her lost child. The Snow Queen would not steal him, just to kill him."

"Nevertheless, you won't be able to help him," The Beast said to the girls. "The Snow Queen has powers you can't fathom. If she wishes that he be kept in her icy clutches, then that is where he will stay. You could try to save him, but you'd only be getting yourselves killed."

Gerda narrowed her eyes at the Beast. "Well if it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't even be in this situation!" She accused, pointing a finger at the cursed prince.

The Beast turned away from Gerda, seething. "If you want to get yourselves killed, be my guest," He growled, his fists clenched tightly together. "Just leave my castle, so I can be at peace."

Gerda glared at the Beast, her fist tightening around her gem so tightly it threatened to break. Belle, seeing her sister in such an angered state, rested a hand on her shoulder, silently warning her to keep her temper in check.

Eventually, Gerda let out a deep breath, and her red face returned to its original color. Finally, she spoke.

"Yes, we will leave your castle," She said to him. "But you're coming with us."

The Beast's eyes snapped open in shock, and he whipped his head in Gerda's direction. "What?!" He bellowed, roaring so loudly Gerda nearly toppled over. "You dare try to saddle me on your foolish quest?!"

In the face of the Beast's rage, Gerda was calm. "You caused this problem; you'll help fix it," She said to the Beast, looking him straight in the eye. "Or else you'll never know peace again."

The Beast began to get out of his chair, glaring at Gerda, but the young girl raised the gem in the air. It flashed its bright light in the Beast's face, causing him to wince in pain and sit back down. He seethed, baring his teeth at the young girl, his eyes burning red.

Gerda returned the glare. "I'm not afraid of you," She said, continuing to hold the gem over the Beast's head. "You will join us. I command you."

The Beast's shoulders tensed, and his claws bit into the sides of the chair he was sitting in. His eye twitched as he glared at Gerda's gem; he looked like he wanted to tear the girl to pieces, but at the same time, the gem seemed to hold him back.

Eventually, the Beast let out a roar. Rising from his seat, the Beast sent the chair flying with one swipe of his paw. Belle grabbed Gerda and pulled her back as the Beast flew into a rage, smashing pieces of furniture in a fury and slashing the walls, adding more claw marks to them.

"How dare you!" The Beast bellowed as he vented his frustration on the inanimate objects in the room.

Eventually, after about a minute, the Beast wore himself out. He collapsed on his knees, panting heavily, one paw on his chest. By now, the room was in tatters.

Belle stared at the Beast. Cautiously, she approached him, leaving Gerda to watch in confusion.

"Prince," She said softly, keeping a good distance away, lest he fly into another tantrum. "Kai's grandmother told us that there was a way to rid you of your curse."

The Beast turned his head slightly towards Belle. "With love?" He questioned, before scoffing. "What use is that?"

"If you join us, there is a chance," Belle told him. "What good is it for you to stay in this castle. Are you just going to wallow away in misery forever? If you leave this castle, you have a better chance of helping yourself return to human form."

Extending her hand, she said, "Please, help us."

The Beast stared at Belle's hand, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He seemed to be deciphering whether he should accept or not. Behind Belle, Gerda watched on, half-expecting the Beast to devour Belle's exposed arm.

Eventually, the Beast stood up off the ground. Belle backed away slowly, still taken aback by just how tall he was.

The Beast turned to face Belle, looking down at her with his wolfish eyes. He took a deep breath, and both girls knew he had made his choice.

"Alright," He whispered after a moment's hesitation. "I will join you."

* * *

The Snow Queen stared into the mirror as it hung atop the frozen wall, a magical glint in her eyes as she held Kai's gem in her hands tightly, holding it near her chest.

"Finally," She whispered, closing her eyes and grinning. "After so many years of searching, collecting every fallen piece, I now have the final piece I have been looking for. My quest is finally complete."

Opening her eyes, the Snow Queen extended her hand towards the mirror, searching for just the right spot to place the gem. Once she found it, she placed the gem into its rightful place in the mirror. Once she did, the gem melded with the rest of the mirror, becoming one with it.

The Snow Queen's grin grew wider. However, it then vanished as she realized, with dread, that there was still a piece missing.

"What?!" She exclaimed, her icy eyes widening in shock. "But I thought I had the final piece! How could the mirror not be whole yet!"

As she vented, ice spikes began to arise from the ground, a testament to her rage. Nearby, some of the Queen's minions began to back away, fearful of the Queen's wrath.

Finally, the Queen let out a gasp. "The shard must have been separated!" She concluded. "Before I arrived at that kingdom, the shard must have been separated into two pieces. When I arrived, I only noticed one of them and forgot the other!"

Growling in frustration, The Snow Queen unleashed several ice spikes that flew through the air. Nearby, her minions let out gasps of horror and dodged out of the way of the flying ice shards, narrowly avoiding being skewered.

The Snow Queen seethed to herself. "Well, it seems I have another reason to keep that boy with me," She said to herself. "Because if he had one piece of the shard, he must know who has the other. He'll just have to tell me who."

A grin appeared on the Snow Queen's lips.

"Then, once the mirror is complete," She whispered to herself. "I will finally have reclaimed what I have lost."

* * *

 _It's not how we make mistakes, but how we correct them that defines us.  
_


	9. The Adventure Begins

_SpeechBubbleMe: To be fair, I don't think they were present in the original story._

 _I am a burglar: Yeah, sure._

 _LilactheDryad: Well, I've seen a couple adaptations of it. However, this story will deviate from the source material (as you can plainly see)._

* * *

Before they set out to find Kai, the Beast took the two girls to the castle stables behind the fortress.

"If we're going to be walking all the way to the witch's castle, you may need a steed," The Beast said as they entered the stables. He appeared to be trying to sound gentlemanly to the girls, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

As they entered the stables, Gerda and Belle were struck with a vomit-induing stench. "Oh goodness!" The latter shouted, clapping her hands over her nose to block out the stench. "What is that smell?"

"Don't ask," The Beast said. From the tone of his voice, it wasn't a request, so neither girls chose to pursue the topic any further.

Reaching a stall near the end of the stables, the Beast halted the girls. Stepping forward towards the stall, he said, in an unnaturally gentle voice, "Wynter. Come out, now."

The three heard a rustling coming from within the stalls. As the stall doors began to open, Gerda instinctively backed away, somewhat afraid of what was going to appear. Was it another beast?

Gerda's fears were removed, however, when she saw the animal step into view.

It was not a beast, Gerda saw, but rather a reindeer, and a magnificent one, at that. It was covered in a thick brown-and-white coat, and it had massive horns, the largest Gerda had ever seen. It was tall, as well, almost as tall as the Beast. And its eyes were a deep blue, the color of winter.

The Beast ran its paw along the reindeer's back tenderly. "My reindeer Wynter will carry you," He said to the girls, leading the large reindeer out of the stables.

"What about you?" Belle asked.

"I can walk myself," The Beast reassured the two.

Once they were outside the stables, Gerda pulled herself onto Wynter's back, along with Belle. "Where do we go, now?" Gerda asked.

"The gem will lead the way," Belle explained to her quickly. "It's how I managed to find you out here."

"Really?" Gerda asked, stunned at her gem's strange abilities. "That's odd."

"We'll talk about it later," Belle said to her. "Right now, we just have to focus on reaching the Snow Queen's castle and rescuing Kai." Turning over her shoulder to face the cursed prince, she asked, "Are you ready, Beast?"

The Beast stood near the stables, a look of discomfort on his face. For a moment, he seemed to be reconsidering joining to two on their quest.

After a few moments, he finally shook his head and said, "Yes, I am. Let's get a move on."

With that, the four set off through the forest, Gerda holding up her gem to guide them.

* * *

Within the confines of his icy cellar in the Snow Queen's fortress, Kai had given up his struggles of trying to escape. Though he had tried to break through the ice spikes that blocked his only exit from the cellar, they had proven futile; the Snow Queen's ice, he had learned, was much harder than normal ice, far too hard for him to break. Thus, he had refined himself to his fate.

Even as he sat alone in the dark cell, a glimmer of hope still shined in his mind. He reasoned to himself that when the Snow Queen completed her mirror, she would see that he _wasn't_ her child, and she would realize that kidnapping him would be all for nothing.

But at the same time, he did wonder what would happen to him once that happened. He entertained the thought that she would let him go, but what if she was not so merciful?

Before he could decipher things further, the ice spikes forming a barrier in front of the cell exit suddenly retracted right before Kai's eyes, leaving an exit for Kai.

The boy let out a gasp of shock. Why had the Snow Queen decided to release him?

"No matter," He said to himself. At the very least, he could leave the dreaded cell.

Dashing out the door, Kai rushed down the hallway to try and find the exit out of the ice castle. However, in his excitement, Kai forgot that everything in the castle, including the ground, was made out of pure ice. Before he knew what was happening, he had slipped on the flat ice and landed on his back, skidding down the icy hallway while making a futile attempt to stop himself.

Sliding into a massive room, Kai finally came to a stop as he slid into a wall. Struggling to his knees, it was then that Kai saw the massive mirror adorning the wall. He could see that nearly every piece of the mirror had been restored to its rightful place. However, there was still an empty section in the center of the mirror, stymying it's completion.

"Kai," A voice said from behind him. The boy whipped his head behind him to see the Snow Queen, standing in a dark area of the room. He had arrived in the room so quickly, he hadn't even noticed her.

"I pride myself on being a patient woman, Kai" The Snow Queen said to Kai as he struggled to his feet. Seeing that the child was having trouble, the Snow Queen waved her arm, and a burst of winter winds pulled Kai to his feet in an instant.

"For over a decade, I have scavenged the world for the shards of my mirror," The Snow Queen continued. "Collecting every piece until it would near perfection. But now, the mirror is nearly complete, and my patience is running out."

"But you took my gem," Kai said to her. "You told me that was the final piece."

"I thought it was," The Snow Queen replied, grimacing. "But I was wrong. I restored the shard into my mirror, but there is still another piece missing."

Kai looked at the mirror, and noticed the empty space in the center of it. Turning back to the Snow Queen, he said, "Well that's not my problem."

"When the mirror shard summoned me to your kingdom, it was whole," The Snow Queen snarled, approaching Kai slowly. "But before I arrived, it must have been broken in two somehow. Thus, the other piece is still out there. And if you had one piece of the shard, then you must know who has the other."

Cornering Kai against the wall, The Snow Queen bellowed, "Tell me who has it!"

Kai knew right away who had the other shard. Gerda. As her name entered his mind, he very nearly blurted it out, but he kept his mouth shut.

If he told the Snow Queen, she would come after his best friend, and hurt, or possibly even kill, anyone who attempted to stop her. He didn't want to put his friend in danger.

"I. . . can't tell you," He said, hesitating.

The Snow Queen's blue eyes twinged in fury. "You _will_!" She roared. Her beautiful face was now twisted with rage.

Kai nearly broke under the monarch's voice and stare. But he remained silent, refusing to put his friend, and all of Grimm, in harm's way.

"No," He said firmly.

The Snow Queen bared her teeth in anger, her nails biting into the walls. Spikes of ice began to sprout from the grounds and walls around the two, and for a brief moment, Kai thought he was going to die, right there.

But for whatever reason, the Snow Queen calmed down. Backing away from Kai, the Snow Queen waved her arms, and the ice spikes retracted. Then, she turned and began to leave the room.

Turning back to face Kai, the Snow Queen pointed a finger at him and warned, "You can't hide the truth from me forever, Kai. I will have my answer soon."

With that, she vanished from the room.

The moment she was gone, Kai broke down, breathing heavily. He felt like he had just escaped Death's embrace.

But even with the immediate danger having subsided, he could only wonder: for how long?

* * *

 _Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness._


	10. Quest

_LilactheDryad: Yeah, I know it sounded kind of unfit. I just couldn't find any other quotes._

 _Well, this chapter was rather short on reviews. Hope that changes soon._

* * *

Shortly after the newly formed group's departure into the forest, the snowstorm had thankfully ceased in ferocity, allowing for a safer passage. Currently, in place of harsh winter winds, the air was still and cool, with gentle snowflakes floating to the soft ground.

Gerda and Belle sighed in relief, thankful that the storm had passed. Gerda, who had been holding the gem in her hands since they had left, put it back into her pocket, feeling that they could continue the journey at the moment without it. She had gotten a good fix on Kai's direction thus far.

As they trekked through the forest, Gerda slowly turned to stare at the Beast. The prince had said nothing since they had left. He stayed a good distance behind the girls as they walked, his head lowered, as if he didn't want to be seen.

Eventually, Gerda asked, "Do you have any idea what awaits us on our quest?"

The Beast looked around the forest. "My father and I used to hunt in these woods," He explained to the girls. "I know many of these areas well. However, much of this forest changed once the Snow Queen came into being."

A chill ran up Gerda's spine. "Such as?" She inquired, her hands tightening around Wynter.

"The snowstorms rage harsher than they ever have previously," The Beast spoke, staring up into the moonlit sky. "And there are less animals to be seen. You won't find many people in these woods, either, except for the Queen's ruffians."

Gerda turned away from the Beast to face forward, letting the prince's words sink in. If he was speaking the truth, then she knew they would not receive much assistance in their quest. As far as she was concerned, they were on their own.

"How far is the walk to the Snow Queen's castle?" Belle suddenly asked.

"I'm not sure," The Beast admitted. "But it will definitely take more than a couple days. The Snow Queen lives outside of Grimm, in a frozen tundra of her own design. Reaching it will not be an easy task, and that's not even taking into account the measures the Snow Queen will go to stop us once she finds that we are coming for her."

"How do you know she will try to stop us?" Belle asked.

The Beast stared at her as if Belle had asked the dumbest question possible. "Because the Snow Queen will not allow anything to stop her from achieving her goals," He said to her. "She has spent years trying to recreate her mirror. Now that she is so close to accomplishing this, her tolerance for failure will begin to wear thin."

Gerda shuddered, feeling a twinge of fear welling up in her chest. Belle, seeing, this, turned to the Beast, a cross look on her face.

"Stop scaring my sister!" She demanded, narrowing her eyes at the prince.

"You asked," The Beast replied nonchalantly, before continuing to walk silently behind the group.

As she rode Wynter, Gerda struggled to shove the feeling of doubt out of her head. But it seemed like the more she tried, the stronger the feeling became. Voices whispered in her mind, telling her that she would not succeed. That she would die unless she turned back now.

Gerda shook her head, desperate to rid herself of these thoughts. She knew she had to go on this quest for Kai, for his family, and for herself. She knew that none of them would ever be able to truly recover if Kai was not returned safely to Grimm.

As they continued forward, Gerda found comfort in the fact that, at the very least, the Snow Queen did not know they were coming to her castle.

At least, not yet.

* * *

The Snow Queen sat in her throne in the middle of her castle, her face stony and cold. After Kai had refused to give her the location of the other half of the gem, she had ordered him imprisoned once more. Afterwards, she had remained in her throne in a bitter mood.

The Snow Queen's fingers bit into the arms of her throne, leaving scratch marks in the shining ice. Her eyes stared down at her own reflection in the floor. It was during times like these that the Snow Queen was confronted with her cursed appearance.

During the years that had passed since her transformation, the Snow Queen had almost completely forgotten her past self. Her memories of her parents, her village, even that of her child, had been frozen cold by the sands of time, and her own obsession over recollecting the pieces of her mirror. She had only the vaguest memories of her past, and even then, she knew even those tiny fragments of her memory were slipping from her mind.

A small part of her wished that, once she had completed her mirror, her memories would be fully restored. But that begged the question: what would she do once she had those memories back?

Before she could ponder the question further, a glow caught her eyes. Looking up, she saw the mirror glowing brightly.

The Snow Queen's eyes widened. Whenever the mirror glowed, that meant it was going to show her something important. As it was not fully complete yet, the Snow Queen could not command the mirror show her whatever she desired; if she could, she would have commanded it show her her lost child years ago. Regardless, every time the mirror showed her something, it had always been important.

Stepping out of her throne, the Snow Queen approached the mirror urgently, waiting in anticipation for whatever image it planned to show her to visualize.

After a few moments, the mirror revealed the winter forest outside of Grimm. The Snow Queen noticed several figures wandering through the forest. Two of them were riding a reindeer, while the other figure, who was much larger than the previous two, walked behind them.

It took the Snow Queen only a few moments to recognize the larger figure. "The prince!" She growled, shock and anger rising up in her chest. "What is he doing outside of the castle?"

Staring closer at the image, the Snow Queen's eyes widened as she realized that the figures were going in the direction of her castle.

"That prince and those peasant girls are headed to my castle," The Snow Queen said to herself. Staring at the smaller figure on the reindeer, she recognized her, as well.

It was the girl she had met in the forest, just before she had taken Kai with her to her ice castle. The girl with red hair and blue eyes.

It took the Snow Queen only a few moments to deduce why they were going to her castle. "So, the little girl wants to save her friend?" She sneered, narrowing her eyes. "And she's brought the prince with her, it appears. Well, she'll soon find that she should've stayed home."

Turning away from the mirror, the Snow Queen stormed through the dark corridors of her castle. Eventually, she met one of her guards in the hallway. Upon seeing his queen approach, the guard stood to attention. "My queen," He greeted.

"Frederick," The Snow Queen said, pointing a rigid finger at the man. "Tell the guards to release the wolves. I'll take care of the rest."

"Um, why?" Frederick asked, confused.

The Snow Queen turned to stare at the figures in the mirror. Specifically, the Beast.

"Someone wants to interfere with my plans," She whispered. "And I'm going to make sure they don't succeed."

* * *

 _Yeah, no quotes for this one. I know it was a pretty short chapter, but I'm just out from a minor Writer's Block. I hope to update faster soon.  
_


	11. The Wolves

_SpeechBubbleMe: Hm..._

 _Antha1: Oh. Fancy seeing you around here._

* * *

Within the lower sections of the Snow Queen's fortress, the queen kept a number of large, white wolves confined deep within. The Snow Queen fed these wolves any animal that strayed too close to her castle or, in some cases, an unlucky man or woman who had the misfortune of angering her too severely.

On the occasion that the Snow Queen was troubled by a far-off issue, but was too occupied to handle it herself, she would release the wolves and whisk them off to the location of this "issue", whether to scare off people who strayed too close, or to do away with potential robbers or thieves.

Now was one of those occasions.

As the first rays of sunlight began to shine above the the largest tower of the Snow Queen's castle, the gates were opened, and the wolves poured out of their confines. The Snow Queen awaited them at the gate's entrance, and the wolves swarmed towards her, ready to do their master's bidding.

The Snow Queen pointed a pale finger at the wolves. "You will go to the forests surrounding the Kingdom of Grimm!" She commanded to them. "Let no outsiders come to my kingdom until I have found the final piece of my mirror! Especially a cursed beast and two peasant girls!"

The wolves began howling and snapping their fangs. The Snow Queen waved her arm, and immediately, the wolves vanished into a flurry of white mist. As soon as the mist cleared, the wolves had vanished.

* * *

The number of trees had began to decrease the longer Gerda, Belle, and the prince tread through the woods. The forestry began to thin out and the trees became more sparse, and it soon became apparent to the three that they were reaching the outskirts of the woods.

"We're getting closer to the Snow Queen's territory," Gerda said to the others as she held up the gem, letting it continue to guide the small group. "If we continue on like this, we should be able to reach her castle in a few days time."

As she spoke, she turned to face the Beast, causing the gem to reflect in his direction. Immediately, the Beast covered his face with his paw to shield himself from the gem.

"Keep that thing away from me," He hissed at her.

Gerda frowned. "Why does this gem bother you?" She questioned, pulling the gem away. "It's a very lovely necklace."

The Beast removed his paw from his face to shoot a glare at the young girl, baring his teeth at her. Gerda froze, unnerved by the Beast's sudden hostility, before slowly turning around and staring ahead of her. She rose the gem, continuing to use it to guide the group.

Belle turned to the Beast, shaking her head crossly. The Beast grimaced at her, then turned his head away from the girls.

"Prince," Belle suddenly said.

"What?" The Beast asked, clearly agitated.

"What do you plan to do once you actually meet the Snow Queen?" Belle questioned.

The Beast's shoulders tensed up. "That's not a relevant question at the time," He replied.

"Well eventually, you're going to have to meet her face-to-face," Belle pointed out to him.

The Beast grumbled. "I hope that doesn't end up happening," He muttered to Belle. "But never mind that! Let's just focus on reaching the queen's castle. We're only wasting time standing around doing nothing."

Belle rolled her eyes, then turned down and held onto Gerda's shoulders. "Come on, the prince is right," She whispered to her. "We have to get Kai and return to the town before our neighbors all panic."

Gerda nodded, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, and whispered, "Alright, let's get a move on."

Before the group could continue on, however, Wynter suddenly halted in his tracks. The large reindeer stiffened, his head raised as he began sniffing the air. His head darted left to right, a panicked expression on his face.

"What's going on?" Gerda asked, confused.

The Beast rushed over to his reindeer. "Wynter, calm down," He said, resting a paw on the reindeer's neck and snout. "We can't stay around here."

At that moment, Gerda's gem began flashing in her hand. The young girl pulled her arm back and stared into it, confused as to why it was flickering again.

"Gerda, what's happening to your gem?" Belle asked, noticing the gem flashing as well.

Gerda stared closely into the gem. "I'm not sure. . ." She whispered, squinting her eyes at the center of the necklace. As she stared at it, a face began to form in the core of the gem. Gerda's eyes widened as the face materialized within the gem.

Once Gerda could see the face clearly, she let out a horrified gasp.

"We have to get out of here!" She shouted in a panicked voice, her face contorting into sheer terror.

"What is it?" Belle asked, startled at Gerda's sudden show of fear.

Gerda didn't speak. She just turned to Belle and showed the gem to her, allowing her to see the face in it. When Belle saw it, she understood.

Materialized in the gem's core was the face of a large, white wolf.

No more words had to be spoken. Gerda pulled the reigns on Wynter, and the reindeer bolted through the woods with Gerda and Belle on his back, the Beast following close behind. As they ran, the howls and snarls of hungry wolves began to echo through the forest, accompanied by the sound of fast running trailing the group.

The group didn't know where they were going. All they knew was that they couldn't stay outside with the wild predators. They had to find shelter.

Gerda turned to look over her shoulder, and in the darkness, she could just barely make out the shadows of large wolves racing through the forest after the group. "They're coming!" She screamed, and urged Wynter to run faster.

The longer they ran, the more wolves joined the chase. There seemed to be dozens of them, all of them pursuing the small group through the woods. And the more they ran, the further the group strayed from the original path.

Eventually, by some sheer stroke of luck, Belle caught sight of a cabin in the distance. "Turn to the left!" She shouted. Immediately, Wynter whirled around and bolted in the direction of the cabin. Some of the wolves were thrown off by the reindeer's sudden change in direction, and collided with one another in their attempts to follow suit.

The group dashed towards the cabin. When they were close enough, Gerda leaped off of Wynter's back and bolted towards the door, grabbing onto the doorknob. Miraculously, the door was open.

"Come on!" She shouted, urging the others through the door. Wynter dashed through the door with Belle on his back, and the Beast wasn't far behind. The moment they were inside, Gerda dashed inside herself, shutting the door behind her.

The wolves dashed towards the cabin, skidding to a stop once they reached the door. The wolves began barking and snarling furiously, some of them even rushing towards the windows of the cabin and scraping their claws against them. However, they made no attempts to enter the cabin.

Inside, the group took the time to catch their breaths, relieved at their narrow escapes. Gerda got to her feet, her heart beating rapidly. She looked out the window at the wolves as they began to encircle the cabin.

The wolves were silent now, but they continued to stare at the group, but especially Gerda. Their yellow eyes bore into the girl's soul.

Eventually, the wolves crept back into the woods, slinking away into darkness. Eventually, they had completely vanished, the only sound being their howls as they echoed into the night.

But, even though the wolves had vanished form sight, the group, Gerda especially, knew that they were still out there. For the time being, they were trapped in the cabin.

And for Gerda, this also meant that Kai's rescue would have to be delayed.

* * *

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	12. A New Form of Imprisonment

_SpeechBubbleMe: Who wouldn't be?_

 _I am a burglar: Sure thing._

 _Al Drin Hoshizora: Didn't know._

* * *

Imprisoned once more, Kai had passed the time using an ice spike to carve random objects into the wall. He drew himself alongside Gerda, including the split gem. He thought about his friend, thinking of how she possessed the final piece to the Snow Queen's mirror. He wondered how long he could keep that a secret from the queen.

It was inevitable, perhaps, that she would find out. The Snow Queen had spent years searching the globe for the missing shards, a task that should've been impossible, but had been achieved anyways. It wouldn't be difficult for her to find one final piece.

It was not a matter of _if_ she would find out, but _when._

Perhaps he should tell her now. Maybe if he did, the Snow Queen would be more lenient. But then he remembered the damage she had caused to the village when she first went looking for him, and he instantly thought against it.

Before he could decipher things further, the ice spikes blocking the only exit from the ice room suddenly retracted. Kai whipped around as, once more, he was given an opening to escape. However, he knew the only reason the ice spikes would vanish would be if the Snow Queen willed it, which also meant that unless she was releasing him, he was still a prisoner.

One of the Snow Queen's ruffians appeared at the entrance of the room. "The Snow Queen says you are free to leave," He said bluntly.

Kai's eyes widened at the statement. Could it be? Was the Snow Queen truly releasing him from her castle?

The guard seemed to notice Kai's hopeful expression, and he said, "Only this room. Not the castle."

Kai's smile vanished, and he groaned. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"The Snow Queen says that as long as you are here, you are not a prisoner, but a guest," The guard explained to him. "All the castle is free to you, but you cannot leave its boundaries."

Kai rolled his eyes. "A guest, huh?" He asked, folding his arms. "Your queen has a funny way of treating guests, doesn't she?"

The guard shrugged. "She has a funny way of going about everything," He replied. "Just don't tell her that."

Kai grumbled deep in his throat. Dropping the ice spike onto the ground, Kyle glumly paced towards the exit of his room. If he would be a captive, at the very least he would be allowed free reign in his prison.

As he left the room, Kai said to the guard, "If I'm a guest here, can I be granted one thing?"

"What?" The guard asked.

"Can I see my friend?"

* * *

After their narrow escape, Gerda, Belle and the Beast had decided to take up temporary residence in the cabin until the wolves grew bored and left. Gerda had gone off to rest in one of the rooms upstairs while Belle and the Beast remained in the living room.

"Are those wolves gone?" Belle asked the Beast as he stared out the window, checking to see if the predators were still lurking about. The prince caught sight of several dark figures slinking through the woods surrounding the cabin, and he turned to Belle and shook her head.

"It seems we're stuck here for the time being," The Beast said to her.

Belle grumbled. "You've got those claws and fangs of yours, can't you just fight them off?" She asked.

The Beast furrowed his eyes. "I'm a prince, not a fighter," He snapped, sounding offended.

Belle leaned against the chair, sighing deeply. "Well we can't just run, either," She pointed out. "I guess we'll just have to wait it out."

"None of this would've happened if you'd just stayed at your little village," The Beast reminded, rolling his eyes.

Belle narrowed her eyes at the Beast, and stood up. "We're doing this to help a friend," She said to him, pointing a finger at him. "But it's not like you could understand that!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" The Beast shouted, his fur bristling with anger.

"The only reason you're here is just so you can become human again!" Belle shouted back at him. "It's not like you care about helping us save Kai! It's the same reason you got cursed in the first place!"

At that, the Beast surged towards Belle, stopping only a few inches short. He let out a loud roar into the woman's face, causing her long hair to blow back and nearly causing Belle to topple over.

The Beast stopped roaring, and glared at Belle. The woman shivered for a few moments before opening her eyes and returning the glare.

The two remained like that for a few tense moments, their eyes locked together. Both waited to see who would back down first.

As fate would have it, it was the Beast. Getting on all fours, the cursed prince slunk away from Belle, slumping onto the hard wooden ground next to a sleeping Wynter. He faced away from Belle as he rested next to his reindeer.

Belle glared down at the sleeping form of the Beast, her eyes narrowed at him.

"And he says he's a prince," She muttered under her breath.

* * *

Upstairs, Gerda had pretended not to hear her sister and the Beast squabble with one another downstairs. She had remained in her bed, trying to preserve her energy. She knew they still had a long journey ahead of them when they left the cabin.

 _"Little girl."_

Gerda's eyes popped open as she heard a small whisper. For a second, she thought it was coming from inside the room, but she then realized it was coming from outside the window. But who could be outside when there were wolves lurking about?

Getting out of bed, Gerda rushed to the window, pulling the windowsill up. Peaking out the window, she looked outside. However, she saw nobody; only the wolves outside the cabin, staring up at her.

"Strange," She whispered.

 _"Little girl."_

Gerda froze as she heard the voice again. This time, she knew where it was coming from; it was coming from the wolves, specifically a large black wolf that towered over the others. It was gazing up at her with its golden eyes.

Despite her terror, Gerda stammered out, "Y-Yes?"

 _"What are you doing so far away from home?"_ The black wolf asked, raising an eyebrow. _"Trying to save your friend?"_

There was a mocking tone in the wolf's voice. It frightened and angered Gerda at the same time. "Yes, I am!" She retorted.

The wolf bared its fangs up at Gerda. _"You will not succeed,"_ He warned her. _"The Snow Queen will dispose of you as easily as she did to everyone else who dared try to challenge her."_ Nearby, the other wolves crackled deeply in their throats.

"I'll still try!" Gerda retorted angrily, clenching her fists angrily.

 _"Then you will die trying,"_ The wolf whispered coolly. With that, he turned and headed off back into the woods, vanishing into the shadows. The other wolves howled at Gerda, almost sounding like mocking laughter, before they, too, disappeared.

Gerda stared into the woods where the wolf had vanished, her face rocky. She clenched her knuckles so tightly that they turned red. As much as she tried, so couldn't prevent the seeds of doubt being planted within her heart.

Little did she know that someone else was watching her.

* * *

Kai's wish had been granted. He had been allowed to see Gerda through the magic mirror. But once he did, he almost wished he had never asked.

He had watched with horror as he saw his best friend trapped in a small cabin in the large woods, surrounded by dozens of large, bloodthirsty wolves. It had taken him only moments to piece together what had happened, and once he had, the only thing on his mind was that it was all _his_ fault.

"Your friend went to try and rescue you," The Snow Queen said to him, seated in her throne. "She thought she could do it all by herself. Now she's seeing the fallacy of that viewpoint."

Kai was secretly stunned that Gerda cared enough about him that she would abandon her home just to save him. However, it was immensely overshadowed by horror and anger.

Kai whirled on the Snow Queen. "Let her go!" He demanded to her, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"You're in no position to be making demands, Kai," The Snow Queen reminded him. "It is your friend's fault for being such a fool. Had she stayed in her village, she would be safe and sound. This is her just punishment."

Kai's furious face was replaced with sorrow and fear. " _Please_ let her go," He pleaded to the queen. "I'll do anything you ask."

The Snow Queen stood up from her throne. "The only thing I want of you is to get the final piece of my mirror," She said to him. "I want to find my lost child!"

Kai looked up at the Snow Queen, seeing the burning anger in her eyes. Turning away from the queen, he closed his eyes as he decided on which course of action he should take in order to save Gerda's life. As much as he didn't want to help the Snow Queen, he realized that it was the only way Gerda could be rescued from her predicament.

Opening his eyes, Kai looked up at the Snow Queen.

"I will. . . do whatever you ask," He said to the Snow Queen, nearly choking on his words. "Just spare Gerda."

A smile appeared on the Snow Queen's lips.

"That's what I want to hear," She whispered.

* * *

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_


	13. A Missing Piece

_SpeechBubbleMe: Yeah...I got nothing to say._

 _LilactheDryad: What?_

 _I am a burglar: She'll see you._

* * *

Gerda, Belle and the prince remained in the cabin throughout the night. As the hours passed, the only thing on their mind was how they were going to escape the cabin with the wolves still around.

As morning approached, and the first rays of sunlight began to peak over the horizon, Gerda felt they had no choice. They were going to have to make a run for it and pray the wolves didn't catch them.

Getting up early, Gerda flew down the stairs to the living room, where she saw the Beast lying next to Wynter, and Belle sleeping in the chair near the fireplace. Gerda noticed a sliver of drool dripping from Belle's open mouth, and tried not to pay attention to it.

"Wake up, you two!" She shouted at them. "We have to go!"

When they didn't respond, she ran over and shook Belle hard, stirring her from her sleep. "Gerda?" Belle asked, her voice tired and her eyes heavy-lidded. "What are you doing? Go back to-" She paused, however, when she noticed the Beast lying on the ground, and she slowly remembered the situation they were in.

"Oh dear," Belle grumbled, and wiped the saliva from her mouth before forcing herself out of bed. Storming over to the Beast, she pressed her foot on his large shoulder and gave him a push, waking him up as well.

The Beast growled as he sprang to his feet. "Who dares awake the prince from his sleep?!" He thundered, before looking down to see a Belle glaring up at him.

"Oh, it's you," He said, and sighed. "Why did you wake me up?"

"We have to go," Gerda told him. "When I give the word, we'll bolt through the door and make a run for it until we reach the outskirts of the forest."

"But the wolves are out there," The Beast reminded her.

"I know, which is why we should hope with all our hearts that this works," Gerda said to him. "Now, wake Wynter up and let's get out of here."

As Gerda was about to start collecting her things to go, the group heard a knocking coming from outside the door. The group froze, and for a moment, they thought the wolves had returned.

However, their fears were undercut when they heard a voice call out, "Who's in there?"

The group immediately let out a breath of relief. "It must be whoever lives here?" Belle whispered to the Beast.

"I can hear you talking," The voice outside called out. "Whoever you are, open the door!"

Gerda turned to Belle, who shrugged at her. Gerda then walked up to the door and hesitantly pushed it open. As she did, the Beast pulled his hood over his horned head to conceal his face.

The moment the door was open, the group saw a rather short, balding woodsman carrying an axe and a lantern. There was a curious look on his face as he stared at the group.

"Who are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at them. "Why are you in my house?"

Gerda gulped for a moment before responding. "Sorry for the intrusion," She apologized to the man. "We were about to leave this forest when we were attacked by wolves. We had to stay here for the night."

The man looked around. "What wolves?" He asked, baffled. "There are no wolves in these parts."

Gerda peaked out of the house, and it was then that she realized that, indeed, the wolves were gone. There was no trace of them ever having been in the area; it was as if they had totally vanished.

"Oh," Gerda whispered, wondering where the wolves had gone. "Well, they were here last night. . ."

"Well if they were, they're gone now," The woodsman said. "Now, can you please get out of my-"

The man paused when he noticed the Beast standing behind Belle, his face concealed by his hood. Though the Beast had tried to keep himself hidden, it appeared he hadn't done a good enough job, and the woodsman caught a glimpse of his fanged face. The Beast tried to turn away, but it was too late.

Gerda saw the way the man's face turned pale with fear. "Oh no," She whispered when she noticed his eyes on the Beast.

She expected the man to cry out in terror at any moment, shrieking at the monster before him. Instead, however, the man simply whispered, _"Y-You."_ He spoke as if he had seen the Beast before.

Before Gerda could ponder things, the Beast turned to stare at the man. His eyes widened himself in shock. "Wait a minute. . ." He whispered, turning to face the woodsman.

Removing his hood, the Beast stood to his full height and glowered down at the woodsman. "You!" He roared, anger clear in his voice. His eyes narrowed down at the man, who was frozen with fear, and he stomped over to him, his teeth bared.

Gerda and Belle watched as the Beast loomed over the man, confused as to what was transpiring. Why had the Beast suddenly flown into such a rage.

They finally got their answer when the man stammered out, "M-My prince."

"What?" Gerda whispered in shock. The woodsman knew the Beast was the prince?

"Erickson!" The Beast roared at the man, speaking the man's name. Terrified, the man tripped on his own feet and collapsed on the ground, staring up at the Beast in terror.

"My prince, I didn't think you'd-" The man, now identified as Erickson, stuttered in terror.

The Beast cut him off. "So I finally found you!" He growled, grabbing Frederick by the scruff of his neck. "Thought you were rid of me, didn't you?!"

"Beast!" Belle shouted. "Put him down!"

The Beast ignored her. "You and all those other spineless servants just couldn't wait to abandon me once I was cursed, right?!" He growled at Erickson, his eyes fixated on him. "Just left me to rot in my castle alone!"

Gerda's eyes widened. She understood, now; Erickson was one of the Beast's former servants who had fled the castle after he was cursed.

"Please, my prince," Erickson begged the enraged prince. "You must understand, I didn't think there was any point of staying in that cursed place! I didn't think it was possible the curse could be lifted; no one did!"

"So you and the others just decided to leave me once my back was turned, eh?" The Beast growled, his shoulders bunched up. "After Aaron left, the rest of you just decided you'd follow suite and sneak away until only I was left?"

"We wanted to start a new life!" Erickson said to him, trembling with fear.

"Beast, put him down," Belle said once more, her tone more commanding.

This time, the Beast seemed to hear her, as he reluctantly released the woodman, allowing him to collapse onto the ground. The moment he was free from the Beast's grip, Frederick gripped onto his throat, coughing.

"You have a lot of nerve begging to me," The Beast snarled, clearly trying to keep his anger restrained. "You don't know the torment I've had to suffer ever since I was cursed."

"You never even tried to undo it," Erickson spat back, trying to get to his feet. "The Snow Queen told you there was a way to undo the curse, but you never even made the attempt!"

"Look at me!" The Beast shouted at him, letting his rage surface for a moment. "How could anyone love _this_?!"

Erickson didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Why are you here?"

The Beast let out a sigh. Gesturing to Belle and Gerda, he said, "These two girls are looking for their friend. He was taken by the Snow Queen."

"Another one?" Erickson asked. "Well that explains the wolves, then. They were probably sent here by the Snow Queen. She knows you're coming."

"Then why did the wolves leave?" Gerda asked, hoping she could receive some useful information.

"The Snow Queen likely called them back," Erickson said with a shrug. "Maybe she changed her mind. That, or she has something else in store for you."

For a brief moment, Gerda noticed a flash of fear cross the Beast's face as Erickson finished his sentence. However, the prince immediately erased the look on his face, and said, "Well then, I guess we'd better get a move on."

Turning to Gerda and Belle, the Beast said, "Come, the sooner we leave this. . . place, the better."

Turning to glare at Erickson one last time, the Beast stormed out the door with Wynter by his side, leaving the girls with the woodsman. Turning to the girls, Erickson asked, "Why did you let him join you on your quest?"

Gerda shrugged. "This might be his one shot for returning to normal," She said.

Erickson raised an eyebrow at the girls. "Good luck with that," He said sarcastically. "If you excuse me, though, I'm going to bed. Had a really tiresome day at work." With that, the woodsman darted up the stairs.

Gerda and Belle watched the man vanish. As they did, they heard the Beast call out from afar, "Well, are you coming or not?!"

Gerda and Belle exchanged glances for a moment. Then, they followed the Beast out the door.

* * *

After the Snow Queen had returned the wolves to her castle in response to Kai's promise to assist her, the young boy had felt he had to honor his promise, if only to stall the Snow Queen long enough for Gerda to arrive.

He hadn't told the Snow Queen that Gerda possessed the other gem, though. Instead, he was trying to get the Snow Queen to remember her infant child. However, it was proving. . . difficult.

"Was your child a boy or a girl?" Kai asked the Snow Queen, who lay slouched in her throne, her forehead resting in her hand.

"I told you; I don't remember," The Snow Queen replied. "My memories have been frozen dead in me."

"You must remember something," Kai urged the queen. "Even the tiniest detail? Did he or she have your eyes, or your nose?"

"How should I know?" The Snow Queen asked. "I don't even remember what I looked like before I was transformed, let alone my infant, who wasn't even old enough to have developed any distinct features yet."

Kai realized that the Snow Queen had a point. An infant's appearance was usually much different from any other baby.

Sighing, his gaze wondered to the Snow Queen's mirror, which was now blank. He stared at the one missing piece within the otherwise complete mirror, the one blemish tainting its image. He slowly began to picture Gerda's gem within the mirror, completing the mirror.

Except. . . Kai stared closer at the missing section, squinting his eyes at it. Then, his eyes widened in shock.

"Snow Queen!" He said, causing the queen's attention to snap to him.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Another piece is missing!" Kai said, pointing at the missing section. "The other piece of the mirror shard isn't big enough to gap the whole. That means that there are _two_ missing pieces!"

The Snow Queen turned to stare at the missing section. However, Kai was surprised when she casually shrugged it off and rested back in her throne. "You don't need to worry about that," She said.

Kai was confused. How come the Snow Queen, who was so concerned with finding all the missing shards, was simply brushing off the fact that there was another shard she had not yet found.

Before he could answer her, the Snow Queen said, "If you're not going to be of use, then get out of my sight." She waved him off, signalling for him to leave.

Kai raised an eyebrow at the queen. Then, reluctantly, he turned and left, his mind still puzzled.

* * *

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	14. The Wild Child

_SpeechBubbleMe: Thanks._

 _LilactheDryad: Uh-huh._

 _Antha1: What a coincidence._

* * *

After leaving the cabin, Gerda, Belle and the Beast continued onward on their quest. Only this time, things were much quieter.

The group had expected the wolves to reappear once they strayed from the cabin, but to their surprise and relief, they found no sign of them. The wolves' paw prints had vanished from the ground, and their scent was gone. It was as if the wolves had never been there in the first place.

"I wonder why the Snow Queen called back her wolves," Belle wondered aloud as the group began to exit the forest and enter the open plains. " _If_ they were her wolves, that is."

"Maybe she's feeling generous," Gerda suggested as she road on Wynter's back, using the gem to guide the way. She decided to keep quiet about her brief encounter with the large black wolf the other night. As it was, she was hoping to remove that memory as far out of her mind as possible.

"Look, we're practically out of the forest now," She pointed out to the rest of the group as they left the last fringes of the woods. "That means we're one step closer to reaching Kai."

As the words left her mouth, Gerda began to hesitate for a moment. As they left the forest, she realized that she was also leaving the last remnants of her home. Before her was a large, empty terrain, covered in ice and snow. She had no idea what awaited her out there.

Despite her inner doubts, though, Gerda said nothing. She simply took a deep breath before continuing forward, to an uncertain future, to the Snow Queen.

But most importantly, to Kai.

* * *

The next few hours were long and tedious. After exiting the forest, the group had made their way through the frozen tundra, struggling to ignore the bitter cold pinching their skin.

The tundra was large, blank, and vacant, with no sign of life present with the exception of the group themselves. The entire area looked exactly the same for miles around; the only way the group knew which direction was the right one was due to Gerda's gem.

Gerda herself wondered if maybe this was where the Snow Queen had forged her new home. However, the thought left her mind when she realized that the area seemed totally uninhabited.

Despite the harsh cold and lack of food or water, Gerda was, at the very least, relieved that they were momentarily safe. Since they had left the forest, there had been no sign of the Snow Queen or her minions. The first hour or so, she had expected the wolves to reappear to finish them off, but it was as if the Snow Queen was simply not acknowledging them anymore. Why, she didn't know.

Eventually, after hours of exhausted walking, the group finally spotted signs of timberland in the distance. Relief overtook the group, and they gladly rushed to the new forest, happy to have escaped the tundra.

"Finally, I can see green again!" Belle said as she entered the forest. "I was getting sick of all the blue and white!"

Gerda rushed up to a nearby tree and quickly began picking some of the fruit from its branches. Handing pieces of the fruit to the others, Gerda began munching on her piece gleefully.

The Beast looked around at the forest, his eyes squinted. "Did we really leave the forest just to arrive at another one?" He asked, baffled.

"Who cares?" Gerda asked. "At least we're not in that frozen wasteland anymore. And besides, now that we're in a forest again, there's bound to be people around."

"Oh great," The Beast grumbled sarcastically. "I bet they'll be so much fun to mingle with."

"Just keep your hood over your head," Belle said to him. Turning to Gerda, she said, "Check your gem. Are we any closer to the Snow Queen's castle?"

Gerda pulled her gem out of her pocket. It was glowing brightly in the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, we're getting closer," She said. "As long as we don't face any more detours, we should reach the Snow Queen's castle in a couple days, give or take. Now, let's get a move on-"

Before she could continue, Gerda was interrupted when a piercing scream tore through the air. Instinctively, the group dove behind the bushes to hide, not knowing who was out there.

Gerda mustered up the courage to peak out from behind the bushes. Immediately, she caught sight of a young girl around her age, dashing through the woods. The girl was rather wild-looking in appearance; she wore a bearskin as a coat, and her black hair was long and unkempt. Her skin was of a slightly darker complexion than Gerda's.

The girl was running with a loaf of bread in her hands. There was a panicked expression on her face as she ran. Gerda didn't understand why until she heard the sound of a horse galloping through the woods, and saw a man riding his steed after the girl, an enraged look on her face.

"Little thief!" The man roared as he pursued the girl through the woods. "I'm gonna get you!"

The young girl was astonishingly fast, but even she could not outrun the horse. The horse dashed past her and in front of her, cutting off her exit. The girl let out a gasp of terror and whirled around to try and flee in the opposite direction. She didn't get far, however, as the man flew off the horse and onto the ground before her.

A large hand reached out to grab the girl by the coat. The man held the struggling child in place, glowering down at her.

"Little thief," He grumbled at her, his eyes narrowed. The girl curled her hand into a fist and made a futile attempt to punch the man, but he caught her fist with his other hand. A pained scream followed as the man crunched the girl's hand in his large fist. Still hiding, Gerda flinched at the man's brutality.

The girl managed to wrench herself free from the man's grip, but collapsed onto the ground. Her hand throbbing, she tried to crawl away from the man. The loaf of bread fell onto the snow.

The man reached into his pocket. "Damned robbers, always stealing from working people," He snarled. "Well, I'll take you a lesson."

Gerda's eyes widened as the man pulled a hunting knife out of his pocket. The girl saw it too, and she began crawling away at a faster pace.

The man grabbed the girl by the coat once more, yanking her into the air. Taking the girl by the hand, the man raised the knife over her wrist. "This will teach you not to steal from me!" He roared.

Gerda couldn't stand to watch in silence. Rising up from behind the bushes, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Stop!"

Gerda froze. The words she had been about to say were caught in her throat.

The man looked up from the wild girl, wondering who had spoken. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened, his skin paled, and his jaw dropped.

Standing tall, in full view of the man, was the Beast. His eyes glared at the man with an animal-like fury, his teeth bared and his nostrils flaring. The wild girl let out a shocked gasp as she saw the Beast as well.

"M-M-Monster!" The man stammered out in horror. Forgetting out the girl, the man dropped her and dashed towards his horse. Jumping onto the horse's back, the man kicked its side with his boots, causing the steed to dash down the pathway as fast as it could go. Soon, the man was gone.

The Beast watched as the man fled, and snorted, his arms folded.

Gerda and Belle stared at the Beast for a moment, surprised. Then, Gerda turned to the young wild girl. Currently, the child was scooping up the man's fallen knife, which he had dropped during his hasty retreat. The girl took the knife in her hand and shoved it into her pocket.

Hesitantly, Gerda stepped out of the bushes and approached the girl from behind. The girl seemed to notice Gerda coming, as she whirled around, a confused and uncertain expression on her face.

Gerda froze. "Hey," She said, giving the girl a slight wave. "My name is Gerda. Do you have a name?"

She took a step forward, and the girl took a defensive stance. She looked Gerda up and down, as if sizing her up.

"Hey, I won't hurt you," Gerda attempted to reassure the girl. She continued walking towards the girl.

"Are you lost?" Gerda asked the girl, who remained silent. "Do you have a family? If so, I'd be more than happy to help you find them." As she spoke, she extended a hand towards the girl.

The wild girl stared down at Gerda's open hand, gazing at it suspiciously. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out, as if to take Gerda's hand. The redhead smiled.

Suddenly, Gerda felt a sudden, stinging pain erupt in her stomach. She let out an unwilling scream and doubled over in agony. As she clutched her throbbing stomach, she realized that the wild girl had thrown an unexpected punch to her gut.

"Gerda!" Belle shouted in horror.

The robber girl's hand shot out at Gerda for a second before retracting. A gust of wind then flew past the redhead as she felt the robber girl take off into the forest, vanishing without a trace.

Gerda collapsed onto the ground, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her. As she struggled to catch her breath, she realized that the girl had stolen her fruit.

Belle and the Beast ran to her side. "Gerda, are you alright?" Belle asked as she took Gerda into her arms.

Gerda looked up at her elder sister, her teeth clenched together to keep from groaning.

"Rotten. . . thief," Was all she could say.

* * *

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	15. Travelers

_SpeechBubbleMe: Nope, the robber girl is also from the Snow Queen._

 _LilactheDryad: That was her name? I don't recall the robber girl ever being given a name._

 _Antha1: Oh well._

* * *

"I will ask you this one time: where are my daughters?"

Gerda's father was seated in a dark room, illuminated only by a dimly-lit candlestick. His eyes were heavy-lidded, dark circles lined beneath them, and his face was hard and stony. He was hunched over, his head lowered, barely able to face the person sitting before him.

"I cannot answer _where_ your daughters are," Kai's grandmother said to him calmly. "But I can answer _why_ they are gone."

"I don't care about the why," Gerda's father replied bitterly, clearly trying to restrain his frustration. "I only want to know where they are." He had hoped that Kai's grandmother would be the one person who could supply him with answers.

"If that is your question, you will not find the answer here," Kai's grandmother told him. "I do not know where your daughters are."

"I just don't understand," Gerda's father said, finally lifting his head to face the elderly woman, revealing tears in his eyes. "I've tried to be a good father to them. Why would they abandon me?"

"It is not your fault that they left," Kai's grandmother told him. "The reason they left is because of love."

Gerda's father remained silent, allowing the elder to continue.

"Your daughter loves my grandson," Kai's grandmother went on. "And Belle loves her sister. You know in your heart why they left."

Gerda's father turned away from the elder, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I do know the reason why they left," He grumbled after a few moments of tense silence. He turned to face Kai's grandmother, fury in his eyes.

"It's because you filled my daughter's heads with tales of fantasy," He snarled, accusing her. "You made her think that leaving the safety of the village would be a fun adventure. Now, both of my daughters are out there, and God knows what has become of them!"

Kai's grandmother frowned. "If that is what you want to think," She said.

"I'm wasting my time here," Gerda's father said abruptly, standing up from the chair. As he turned to leave, he paused for a moment, and turned around to face Kai's grandmother once more.

"If my daughters return, I will not let them near you or your grandson ever again," He declared, pointing a finger at her. "Your tall tales were fun when I was a child, but not anymore." With that, he turned to leave.

Just as he rested his hand on the doorknob, he heard Kai's grandmother ask, "What will you do to ensure that they return?"

There was a pause as the man let out a deep sigh. He twisted the doorknob and opened the door, and slowly walked outside.

As he did so, a whisper escaped his lips.

"I don't know."

* * *

After the encounter with the wild robber girl in the woods, Gerda, Belle and the Beast had decided to simply avoid any strange woodsmen until they reached a house to stay for the time being. Fortunately, they didn't have far to look.

It wasn't long before they found a cabin in the woods. It didn't appear to belong to the angry man they had met beforehand, so the group was quick to head to it, desperate to get out of the freezing cold.

As they approached the house, Belle whispered to the Beast, "Remember to keep your face hidden."

"How could I forget?" The Beast replied, having already pulled his hood over his head. "Let's just hope that the people in _this_ cabin aren't runaway servants."

Belle rolled her eyes and approached the door. Extending her arm forward, she lightly tapped on the door, then waited patiently.

After a few moments, the door creaked open to reveal a middle-aged woman at the door. "Oh, hello there," The woman said upon seeing the group at the door. "What brings you here?"

"We're just travelers," Belle said to the woman. "We just need a place to stay for the night."

"Oh my, we don't get travelers here often," The woman mused. "Come on inside."

As the group walked through the door, Gerda said, "Thanks for letting us inside, ma'am."

"No problem," The woman replied to the group. She then took a step backwards as the Beast, his face concealed, squeezed his way through the door.

"You're a big fellow, aren't you," The woman said, somewhat surprised by his size.

The Beast paused. Without turning around, he simply said, "Ma'am," before continuing on.

* * *

A few hours later, the group was settled into the house. They had all been given hot chocolate and warm blankets for comfort after having spent several hours outside in the cold.

"Thanks for your hospitality, ma'am," Gerda said as she sipped on her cup of hot chocolate. "It's a shame more people don't visit this place."

"Oh, it's not really my fault," The woman said to the group. "People are just kind of scared of entering these parts. But if you live here, you get used to it."

"Get used to what?" Belle asked, out of curiosity.

"The wolves and the ruffians out in the woods," The woman replied nonchalantly.

The group nearly choked on their hot chocolate. "Come again?" Belle asked, rubbing her throat.

"Well, these parts are no strangers to thieves and wild animals," The woman explained to the group. "They don't like newcomers arriving in these woods. They often chase them out, or worse. They mostly leave the people settled here alone, though."

Gerda's face went pale. "There are. . . _wolves_ in these woods?" She asked, shivering despite having a blanket around her.

"Don't worry; we don't see them often," The woman reassured her. "They usually only show up once every few months, then vanish. Those thieves on the other hand. . . you'd best keep on the right path on your journey."

Belle, Gerda and the Beast exchanged worried glances.

"Would you like some more hot chocolate?" The woman asked.

The group all shook their heads. The woman shrugged her shoulders before returning to the kitchen, leaving the group alone.

Gerda sunk into the couch, a feeling of dread welling up inside of her. She hadn't realized that they had already stumbled into another of the Snow Queen's throngs.

They were in her territory now.

* * *

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	16. Ruffians

_Antha1: "Ruffians" and "thieves" are essentially inter-changeable in this case._

 _LilactheDryad: Never heard of it._

* * *

Gerda went to bed almost immediately afterwards. She hoped that a good night's rest would allay her anxiety and prepare her for the rest of their journey tomorrow. Belle and the Beast, meanwhile, remained downstairs.

The fire had gone out in the fireplace, so Belle lit up a candlestick to illuminate the room. The Beast, meanwhile, was curled up next to Wynter, who lay asleep next to the couch.

As Belle sat down near the table, she turned to face the Beast. The cursed prince was softly stroking Wynter's head; it was an odd sight, seeing the large beast act so tender towards the reindeer, that Belle couldn't help but observe.

Unfortunately for her, the Beast noticed. "What are you staring at?" He asked, anger in his tone. He turned to face Belle, narrowing his eyes at her.

The brunette was put off by the Beast's sudden hostility, but she didn't want to seem intimidated. "Beast, you need to watch your attitude," She said to him, trying to sound stern.

"No peasant orders a prince around!" The Beast declared, pointing a finger at her.

"That mindset is exactly what got you cursed in the first place," Belle reminded him. "Beast, you're prince only in name now."

The Beast looked like he wanted to retort, but he said nothing. Instead, he pouted and turned away from Belle, letting his eyes wander. He didn't look angry now; just upset and forlorn.

Belle's features softened. "Beast, if. . . _when_ the curse is lifted, what will you do?" She asked.

The Beast huffed. "I'll return to my castle, like a true prince," He replied, a haughty tone in his voice. "Bring back my servants and maids, rebuild by castle, remake everything anew. Then things will be just like they were before." An unusually calm expression rested upon the Beast's face as he finished his sentence.

Belle couldn't help but scoff at the Beast's plan. "What servants?" She asked. "Beast, your servants have left you."

"Then I'll just make them come back," The Beast snorted in response.

"How?" Belle asked. "You have no one willing to side with you. Even if you become human again, you won't really be prince. You have no servants, no guards. . . all you have is that big, empty castle. You'll have nothing."

"What are you getting at?" The Beast asked, turning his head slightly in her direction, one eyebrow arched.

"When the curse is lifted, don't return to the castle," Belle suggested to him. "You can come and live in Grimm. Get a normal job there, live in a regular house. You can be happy."

The Beast was silent. In the darkness of the room, Belle could see his eyes widened, staring glossily at the ground, as if weighing his options. For just a moment, he seemed contemplative.

Then, his eyes darkened, his features became twisted, and he looked up at Belle. "Preposterous!" He sneered at her, and with that, he slunk off out of the room, vanishing upstairs.

Belle watched him go, and sighed heavily to herself.

* * *

Gerda rested in her bed, her eyes staring up at the ceiling. Her hand was clenched over her gem as she tried to find comfort in her situation.

She could not. With every passing moment, she only allowed more fear and uncertainty to edge itself into her heart. Even though the Snow Queen hadn't taken very many steps into hindering her journey yet, Gerda was beginning to doubt if she was even capable of taking her on in order to save Kai.

By now, she could hear the black wolf's words echoing in her mind. _You will not succeed. The Snow Queen will dispose of you as easily as she did to everyone else who dared try to challenge her._

Gerda was pulled out of her thoughts, however, when she noticed her gem beginning to glow once more. Sitting up, she stared down at it, taking the gem into the palm of her hand.

The gem was shimmering somewhat. Gerda aimed the gem to the right, and immediately, the light began to fade from it. This time pointing the gem to the left, towards the window, Gerda saw that the gem began to flash even more brightly.

The gem was trying to lead her somewhere, she knew it.

So, setting aside her fears, she decided to follow it.

* * *

Gerda didn't bother alerting Belle or the Beast. She had merely taken her coat and climbed out from the window, landing on the soft snow below. Then, she had set out into the forest in search of wherever the gem was leading her.

Gerda briefly remembered the woman's warnings of the wolves and ruffians, but she brushed those concerns off, also remembering that the wolves only showed up sparingly. That didn't discount the ruffians, though, and Gerda hoped that if she came across them, they wouldn't find anything worth stealing from her.

Whatever she was searching for, it evidently wasn't far away. She could see the gem flashing brighter and brighter the more she walked, and she could tell she was getting close.

In the close distance, Gerda could see smoke rising from behind a small hill. She also noticed a dim light, and she could tell that there was a fire being lit in the distance.

"Is this what I'm supposed to be looking for?" She wondered aloud. Curious, she slowly and silently approached the source of the light. As she approached, she could just barely make out the sounds of people talking around the fire. To avoid being seen, she crouched low on the hill.

Peaking her head over the hill, Gerda finally saw what the gem had led her to.

There, below the hill, dozens of rugged men and women were frolicking around a large fire. Gerda's eyes widened as she noticed their clothing and recognized them as the Snow Queen's thugs. Her gem had led her right to their encampment.

Ducking her head, Gerda quickly pushed slow up over her head in an attempt to hide herself. She continued to observe the ruffians as they danced around the fireplace, all the while parading around their stolen loot and goods.

As Gerda's eyes passed over the ruffians, she noticed a particular figure standing among them. Her eyes widened as she saw none other than the robber girl she had encountered earlier, pass through the small crowd.

Gerda fixated her eyes on the girl. Her stomach was still sore from when the girl had violently punched her, and she could feel nothing but ire towards the child. Her bitterness for the girl only increased as she saw the girl approach the largest member of the ruffians and present the knife and Gerda's fruit to him, a proud expression on her face.

The large man ruffled the girl's head before sending her on her way. The girl then scampered out of the encampment and back into the woods, vanishing from sight.

Gerda noticed her gem's glow was starting to fade. Confused, Gerda mumbled to herself, "Maybe the gem was just warning me to keep away from this area when we leave tomorrow." Getting up off the ground, Gerda tucked the gem into her pocket before turning around, walking silently back to her house.

She had it all figured out. The gem was telling her to keep away from this neck of the woods. Once she got back to the cabin, she'd tell Belle and the Beast, and next thing tomorrow, they'd be sure to avoid the ruffian encampment once they continued their-

Gerda was cut off from her thoughts when suddenly, she felt a pair of cold hands grip her shoulders. A surprised shout escaped her lips as she felt nails digging into her skin. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, she was violently hurled to the side, crashing onto the ground roughly.

Gerda scrambled onto her knees. Looking up, she saw the robber girl standing above her. Gerda let out a gasp; she hadn't even noticed the girl sneak up on her.

The robber girl let out a snarl and advanced upon Gerda quickly, her teeth bared and her arms outstretched, her fingers almost resembling claws. Panicking, Gerda rolled away from the robber girl, struggling to get to her feet.

She wasn't quick enough, however, and the robber girl grabbed onto her coat and began to roughly drag Gerda around by it, eventually letting loose and allowing Gerda to fly into a tree. The redhead hit it roughly, bruising her arm in the process.

In spite of her pain, Gerda got to her feet. At that point, she realized that retreat wasn't an option. If she was to escape, she would have to fight.

Racing towards the robber girl, Gerda slammed into her with all of her force, knocking the girl onto her back. The two girls became locked into battle with each other, rolling around the ground like two wild animals.

Gerda was secretly amazed by the robber girl's strength. Though the girl didn't look much more physically powerful than her, she was much stronger than she appeared. It was taking all of Gerda's strength and willpower not to pass out from exhaustion.

However, despite all odds, Gerda managed to briefly gain the advantage. Pinning the robber girl underneath her, Gerda raised her hand over her head. Curling her hand into a fist, she brought it down on the robber girl's head with all her might. The blow seemed to stun the robber girl, as she shrieked in pain and clutched her forehead, her teeth clenched together.

Gerda immediately jumped off of the robber girl, watching as the girl writhed on the ground, growling in pain. As she watched the girl, still on the alert in case she tried to attack again, Gerda began to notice her gem glowing once more.

Gerda glanced at the robber girl. Currently, the girl was on her hands and knees, her back turned from Gerda, so she couldn't see the gem. Gerda decided to take the opportunity to take the gem out of her pocket to see why it was glowing now. She was careful to keep it hidden from the robber girl's sight, in case she tried to steal it.

Gerda couldn't believe her eyes. The gem, aimed at the robber girl, was glowing brightly. When Gerda directed the gem away from the girl, the gem's light began to fade.

"No way. . ." Gerda whispered in shock. The gem had been leading her to the robber girl the whole time. But why?

The robber girl started to turn towards Gerda, and the redhead quickly placed the gem back in her pocket. Standing tall over the robber girl, Gerda stared down at her assailant, her eyes squinted. Even though Gerda had been losing for most of their fight, Gerda was now ready to take charge over the little thief.

"I have some questions for you," Gerda said to the robber girl, speaking in an authoritative tone. "And you _will_ answer them."

* * *

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	17. A New Ally

_SpeechBubbleMe: Maybe..._

 _LilactheDryad: Okay..._

 _Antha1: Technically, the gem belongs to the Snow Queen._

* * *

Gerda and the Robber Girl locked eyes with one another. Neither girl flinched in their resolve, determined not to show any hint of fear. Even though Gerda appeared to have the upper hand at the moment, the Robber Girl's glare told her that the child thief didn't plan to back down so easily.

"Can you talk?" Gerda asked the Robber Girl. "If you can, then I hope you will be able to answer me."

The Robber Girl hissed and made a quick movement. Gerda immediately readied herself for another confrontation, but rather than attack, the Robber Girl instead jumped to her feet and quickly scampered off.

"Wait!" Gerda shouted, racing after the other girl. Pouncing through the air, Gerda tackled the Robber Girl to the ground. The girl thrashed and bucked wildly, trying to throw Gerda off of her, but the redhead held on tightly, determined not to let her go.

"Hold still!" Gerda snarled, taking hold of the Robber Girl's hair and yanking her head back, eliciting a yelp from the thief.

"Ow!" The girl shouted, and she quickly threw Gerda off of her. Gerda landed in a heap on the ground, her senses knocked out. Groaning in pain, she lay still on the ground, her head rolling from side to side. Once she finally regained her senses, Gerda panicked, as she realized she'd lost her temporary advantage.

A shadow loomed over Gerda. Before she could properly react, the Robber Girl reached out and grabbed onto Gerda's collar, roughly pulling her to her feet. Fearing another attack, Gerda quickly jabbed her fist out, and her knuckle connected with the Robber Girl's gut. The force of the blow caused the Robber Girl to growl in pain and double over, releasing Gerda.

As the Robber Girl struggled to recover from the blow, Gerda regained her footing. Pointing a finger at the seemingly downed thief, Gerda said, "Now, Robber Girl, as I was saying, I have some questions for you, and you will-"

 _THWACK!_

Gerda was abruptly cut off from her speech as suddenly, the Robber Girl slammed her fist right into her temple, knocking her senseless. Gerda's eyes rolled in her sockets, her head feeling woozy. She felt as if a rock had been slammed against her skull.

Gerda barely felt anything when she hit the ground; the effects of the punch had dulled her senses. She simply lay in the snow, feeling paralyzed.

Even dazed, however, Gerda could hear the Robber Girl Speak. "Lord, you are annoying," The dark-haired girl said, pacing around the fallen redhead. "I thought you'd never shut up!"

"You. . . you can talk?" Gerda whispered, still lying on the ground.

"Of course I can talk," The Robber Girl said, rolling her eyes. "I'm a thief, not a mute."

She didn't sound at all like Gerda expected. With how she had seen the ruffians act beforehand, she had somewhat expected them to talk in a rough, almost broken language. Instead, the Robber Girl communicated rather clearly. Her voice was somewhat deeper than most girls her age, and she had an accent that Gerda couldn't quite track, but otherwise, she sounded perfectly normal.

"Why didn't you talk to me before?" Gerda asked, her senses slowly returning to her.

"Didn't see the need," The Robber Girl replied, getting down onto her knees. "Besides, the Queen doesn't advise us to speak with strangers."

Gerda's eyes widened. _The Queen?_

"Q-Queen?" She whispered.

The Robber Girl ignored her statement. "Well, I don't see the use of continuing to speak with you," She said. "I already stole from you once, so unless you've got something else I want, I guess I'll be leaving." With that, she turned and began to walk away.

"W-Wait!" Gerda shouted, slowly getting to her feet. "You didn't answer my questions!"

The Robber Girl stopped, but didn't turn around. "What questions?" She asked, a hostile tone in her voice.

"You mentioned a Queen?" Gerda said, standing up, though her head was still dizzy. "What Queen?"

"The Snow Queen," The Robber Girl replied casually. "We don't see her much, but she does give us our orders. Nothing much, she usually just has drive off unwanted visitors or other business. Other than that, we're free to do what we want."

"I-I was going to her castle," Gerda explained to the Robber Girl. "I really needed to see her!"

The Robber Girl chuckled darkly. "You really don't want to do that," She replied. "Unless you want to proclaim that you're her lost child, you're better off just going back to wherever you came from. Now stop bothering me."

She was about to walk away, but Gerda called out, "My friend was taken by her. His name is Kai. I wanted to go get him back."

"Well in that case, luck is not on your side," The Robber Girl replied, unsympathetic. "The only way you could hope to get Kai back is if the Snow Queen judges that he is not, in fact, her child and releases him of her own volition."

"I can't leave Kai's fate up to chance," Gerda told her. "I have to free him myself!"

"Listen peasant, I highly doubt that boy is the Snow Queen's child," The Robber Girl said. "The Snow Queen has spent years searching for her lost child. She's taken in many children, and none of them turned out to be her child. There are _millions_ of children out there, girl; do you have any the chances of this Kai being the one. Just be patient, and you're friend will be free."

"So she'll return him to the village, right?" Gerda asked, a glimmer of hope sparking within her. However, the look on the Robber Girl's face quickly diminished that hope.

"Well. . . no," The Robber Girl replied, dashing Gerda's hopes. "She sets the child free, but that's it. As far as the Snow Queen is concerned, what happens to him or her next is left totally up to fate. Some of them return to their parents safely, but others. . ."

Gerda's eyes widened in horror. "You have to take me to her, _now_!" She shouted, grabbing the Robber Girl's coat. "Before that happens. Otherwise, I'll have no idea where Kai is!"

"It's not like it will make a difference," The Robber Girl, brushing Gerda's hand off. "Even if I do take you to the Snow Queen's castle, what are you going to do? 'Hey Snow Queen, could you please let my friend go, pretty please'?"

Gerda growled in frustration, then collapsed onto the ground. "Please," She begged the Robber Girl. "Kai has a family back where I live. They're getting torn apart now that he's gone. Please, I need to save him, for their sake. At the very least, I have to try."

Tears were beginning to well up in Gerda's eyes. Though she tried to hold it in, Gerda began to sob quietly to herself. Her pitiful sobs carried off into the night, echoing in the distance.

The Robber Girl bit down on her lip, staring down at the crying Gerda. "Stop it," She said through gritted teeth. When Gerda did not, the Robber Girl raised her fist, saying, more forcefully, "I said _stop it_!"

Gerda did not stop.

The Robber Girl kept her fist raised in the air, prepared to bring it down on Gerda's head to _force_ her to stop crying. But for whatever reason, it was as if some force was keeping her from doing so.

Listening to Gerda's cries seemed to pierce something within the Robber Girl, and before she could even think, she spoke.

"Okay, I'll bring you to her."

Gerda stopped crying. Looking up at the Robber Girl with widened eyes, she said, "Really?"

For a moment, the Robber Girl remained frozen, as if just now comprehending what she had just said. After getting over the shock of her own words, she said, "Y-Yes, sure, if it'll get you to shut up."

Springing to her feet, Gerda shouted, "Thank you!" She reached out to hug the other girl, but the Robber Girl pushed her back.

"Don't get sentimental on me," She said, pointing a finger at Gerda. "I'm only doing this out of pity. If you want to die so badly, I'm not stopping you."

"Great then," Gerda said. "Can you lead me to the rest of your group then, and they can-"

"The rest of my group?" The Robber Girl said, perplexed. "Is there a brain inside of that head of yours? If they so much as saw you with me, they'd strip you of everything you were worth, and there wouldn't be a darned thing I could do about it. No, I'll lead you to the Snow Queen personally."

"You know the way?" Gerda asked.

"Of course I do," The Robber Girl replied. "Now why don't you bring me to _your_ group? I know I saw you traveling with two other people and a reindeer."

". . . Are you going to rob them, too?" Gerda asked, squinting her eyes suspiciously.

"No!" The Robber Girl denied, waving her hand at Gerda. "You asked me to bring you to the Snow Queen, right? I figure that means your friends are included, right?"

"Well, yeah," Gerda said, shrugging. "Fine, I'll bring you to where we're staying. But if you try to steal anything from them, I'll have my beast gobble you up!"

"Oh please, you're bluffing," The Robber Girl said, folding her arms.

Gerda simply smirked in response.

* * *

When Gerda brought the Robber Girl to the house they were staying at, the Robber Girl soon found herself eating her own words.

"Okay, I believe you!" She cried in terror as she lay on the ground, her arms shielding her face. "Just don't let the Beast eat me!"

Standing over the small child, the Beast roared down at the Robber Girl. "You had better do as Gerda says, or else I'll grind your teeth into dust!" He growled down at her, making sure to flash his fangs at the thief. This elicited yet another shriek from the Robber Girl.

Belle, who had been standing next to the Beast, leaned in and whispered, "A little too much."

"Sorry," The Beast replied. Turning his attention back to the Robber Girl, he said, "Do you know any ways past those ruffians?"

The Robber Girl nodded. "This forest is a big place," She said. "I know a lot of places in it. I'll just sneak you past my group, and then I'll lead you to the Snow Queen's castle. Do whatever you want when you get there."

"Good," The Beast said. "And no funny business while we're on our journey, got it!"

"Yes sir, definitely," The Robber Girl said immediately, trembling.

"Good, now go sleep," Belle told the Robber Girl. "We have a long day ahead of us."

Nodding, the Robber Girl scampered upstairs quickly. The moment she was gone, Belle turned to Gerda and said, "Gerda, are you sure we can trust her? The last time you tried to talk to her, she robbed you."

"I know, but. . ." Gerda paused, before pulling her gem out of her pocket. ". . . This led me to her. For some reason, the gem seems to regards her as important, otherwise, it wouldn't have brought me to her. I don't know why, but I do think she can be of some assistance."

The Beast narrowed his eyes at her.

"I can only hope that you're right," He grumbled.

* * *

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	18. The Journey Continues

_SpeechBubbleMe: Thanks._

 _Antha1: Yeah, here's to hoping that Gerda can keep that gem a secret..._

 _LilactheDryad: Yeah, but that would mean Gerda would be abandoning her sister in unknown territory._

* * *

The following morning, the group was woken up early by the Robber Girl to begin their quest. Belle and the Beast wanted to stay in bed for at least a few more hours, but the Robber Girl had insisted that they leave now. She said that if they waited too long, the other ruffians would come looking for her, and that wouldn't be good.

With that, the group forced themselves out of bed. After eating breakfast and bidding the house owner goodbye, the group was off to continue their journey through the unknown forest.

As usual, Belle and Gerda rode upon Wynter while the Beast trailed behind. The Robber Girl, on the other hand, sprinted ahead of the rest of the group at such a pace that it was difficult for the others to keep up with her. To make matters worse, she kept vanishing into the woods for brief splinters of time, and the rest of the group would have to stop walking and wait for her to come out of hiding before continuing forward.

After about an hour of walking, Gerda began to feel her patience start to wear thin. "Could you slow down a bit?" She called out to the Robber Girl as the dark-haired girl dodged behind a tree. "We can hardly keep track of you if you keep vanishing like that!"

The Robber Girl emerged from behind the tree. "I'm just scouting the area a bit," She rationalized to the rest of the group. "Just in case there are any wolves or dangerous men lurking about." She proceeded to spend a few extra seconds searching through the forests for any sign that they were being followed, before turning to the rest of the group and giving a signal that it was all clear.

As the group continued walking, Gerda asked, "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Of course I do!" The Robber Girl snapped, whirling around upon the redhead. "I've lived in these forests half my life! I know over a dozen routes to the Snow Queen's castle."

"For curiosity's sake, which route are we on right now?" Belle asked, squinting her eyes at the young thief.

"This is the route where the least amount of ruffians hang out in," The Robber Girl explained. "I usually come here when I want to be alone. Unfortunately, it's also one of the longer routes."

This elicited an annoyed groan from the rest of the group. "Aren't there any short cuts?" The Beast complained.

"No," The Robber Girl denied bluntly. "The shortest routes leading to the Snow Queen's castle is also where the majority of her men are stationed. She doesn't like strangers trespassing into her territory uninvited. To reach her castle undetected, you first have to stray as far away from the regular routes as you can."

Belle groaned. "Can't we just go through the normal routes pretending to be simple travelers, or something?" She suggested. "I take it the Queen's men trust you. You can simply vouch for us and they'll let us pass."

"Oh yes," The Robber Girl replied, sarcasm evident in her voice. "A group of simple travelers. . . and a beast. A beast the Snow Queen knows and despises. The men won't find that suspicious at all."

The group's face fell. The Robber Girl also decided to add, "Besides, the men know I don't associate with newcomers."

"Fine!" Gerda exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air in frustration. "We'll do it your way. As long as it leads us to Kai!"

"Thank you," The Robber Girl said with a smile. "Now come on, let's move. We're just wasting time standing about."

With that, the group continued on their journey.

* * *

After the Snow Queen had dismissed him from her presence, Kai had simply returned to his cell to wallow in his own misery. Eventually, he left the cell to wander about the castle, questioning what was to become of him.

How long would he remain in this castle? A few more days? Weeks? _Years?_ Would he even leave at all?

He knew that he was not the Snow Queen's child; he couldn't be. But the Snow Queen definitely wasn't convinced of that, and if she wasn't convinced, he would remain her prisoner.

 _"Kai."_

Kai jumped in a panic as he heard the Snow Queen's voice creep into his ears. He hadn't even noticed the Snow Queen sneak up on him. He whirled around and looked up to see the icy monarch staring down at him with her cold, dead eyes.

"My patience is starting to wear thin, Kai," The Snow Queen said to him. "I've searched for so long to find my lost child, and I'm so close to discovering the truth. I only need the final piece of my mirror, and I'll know, once and for all, who my child is."

"I'm not your son," Kai stated, trying to stand firm even as the Snow Queen's mere presence secretly tormented him. "Please, I have a father and a grandmother waiting for me back home. I know they're worried sick. Just send me back."

"You didn't mention a mother, though," The Snow Queen pointed out. Kai froze in place as he realized what he had just said.

"You don't have a mother," The Snow Queen told him, trailing a hand over Kai's head. "What do you know of your mother?"

Kai shrugged, rubbing his arm. "Not much. . ." He confessed to the Snow Queen. "Dad says she died when I was very young."

"Did he ever tell you how she died?" The Snow Queen probed on, yearning for more information. "What did she look like? Did you ever see her face? Did your father have any portraits of her in your house?"

"Be quiet!" Kai shouted, tearing himself out of the Snow Queen's grip. "I don't want to talk about it!"

"You don't give the commands here, Kai," The Snow Queen reminded him. "I'll just keep on asking. If you don't know who your mother is, how can you be so sure that I am not-"

"Many children don't have mothers!" Kai interrupted her. "Things happen that can tear families apart!"

"Who knows that better than me?" The Snow Queen asked, her eyes narrowing. For a second, Kai could see genuine bitterness on her face, before her expression returned to its normal, emotionless veneer.

"Snow Queen, I know you lost your child, but you don't have to keep tearing other families apart because you think it'll make yours whole again," Kai pleaded to the Snow Queen. "Please, just let me go."

The Snow Queen remained silent, not saying a word. Her expression was unreadable; Kai had no idea what was going on in her head.

It seemed as if the Snow Queen was about to say something, but suddenly, one of her men appeared from around the corner. "My queen!" He called out to her.

The Snow Queen's expression twisted into exasperation, and she whirled on the man. "What, Tobias?" She asked, obviously irritated. "Can't you see I'm having a discussion with our visitor?"

"My queen, the mirror has shown us another image," The man, identified as Tobias, revealed. "And it's one that I think you'll find quite interesting."

That perked the Snow Queen's attention. Turning back to Kai, she said, "Stay here." Then, she turned to follow Tobias towards her personal chambers to see what the mirror had to show.

* * *

"This better be important," The Snow Queen said as she arrived in her throne room. Over the years, the mirror had shown her many things, varying importance, but it never seemed to show her what she wanted to see most; her child.

Hesitantly, Tobias pointed towards the mirror. The Snow Queen turned to stare at it closely, examining the image carefully.

Immediately, the Snow Queen let out a gasp at what she saw. In the image, she could see the Robber Girl, leading Gerda, her sister, and the Beast through the woods.

"The robber girl?" The Snow Queen whispered in disbelief. "What is she doing with those peasants?" She immediately recognized the route the group was taking, and realized that the Robber Girl was taking them through one of the unguarded passages.

"She seems to be. . . helping them," Tobias said, rubbing his hands nervously.

The Snow Queen turned to glare at him. "Don't you say that," She growled, pointing a finger at him. "I know that girl; she would never help them willingly. Clearly, they're holding her hostage."

Turning back to the mirror, the Snow Queen glared at the group. "I gave them the chance to just go home," She snarled. "But if they want to persist, then perhaps I shall make their little journey much _shorter_. . ."

* * *

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	19. A Desperate Escape

_SpeechBubbleMe: Eh, working on the Robber Girl's name._

 _LilactheDryad: It was actually explained all the way back in chapter two. Belle mentions that when she was young, the legend didn't exist. Since the Snow Queen only targets children she believes to be her lost child, the legend would have to be about as old as the children she's taking._

* * *

In the outer regions of the forest, the group had been treading across the snowy landscape for about two hours longer. Occasionally, they stopped to eat before resuming their journey.

It was dreadfully boring and uneventful, but at the very least, it appeared the Robber Girl hadn't been lying; the group had indeed not encountered any of the Queen's ruffians thus far. In fact, there didn't appear to be any sign of life other than themselves for miles across. It was as if they were completely alone.

Suddenly, the Robber Girl halted the group. "Stop here!" She commanded them.

"Why are we stopping?" The Beast growled impatiently.

The Robber Girl pointed upwards towards a giant, snowy glacier overlooking the forest. "See that mountain up above?" She asked the group. "You have to be really careful passing by it. If you're not, you could cause an avalanche."

The group froze up in horror. All eyes gazed up at the large glacier; it was humongous. If an avalanche did occur, it would be absolutely catastrophic for them.

"Have you. . . seen it happen before?" Gerda asked the Robber Girl, nervously.

"Yes," The Robber Girl replied bluntly, though she gaze no details.

Heeding her warning, the group slowly and carefully walked across the snowy grounds, passing by the large glacier above them. The Robber Girl led the way, guiding the way, silently gesturing to the group to tread carefully. As they walked, they stared down at their feet, making sure they were not stepping into the ground too roughly.

Eventually, the group was halfway across the side of the glacier. The icy mountain did not budge, not even a speck of snow shimmered off of it. Though still anxious, Gerda was somewhat relieved all the same. It seemed that soon enough, the danger would pass.

Alas, it could not be.

The group all heard the sound of the large glacier crack. Immediately, they stopped walking, froze as still as a statue. Their heads darted upwards at the top of the mountain, and they could see that a large chunk of it had split in half.

"What did you do?" The Robber Girl asked the group, still standing frozen.

"I don't know!" Gerda blurted out. "We were just following your instructions! We just-"

"Silence!" The Robber Girl hissed at her, but it was too late.

Above them, the icy glacier began to crack. Streams of snow collapsed off the side of the mountain, coating the group in freezing cold snow. And they knew that that was merely a prelude.

"Run!" The Robber Girl screamed, sounding more panicked than usual.

Abandoning their previous caution, the group dashed across the path at top speed as the avalanche commenced. The glacier collapsed fully, and a mountain of snow flowed down the once stable glacier. It soared down towards the group like a pale tsunami.

No matter how fast the group ran, they could not avoid it. Wynter, who had been carrying Belle and Gerda, slipped on the ice and collapsed, causing the two girls to tumble off of his back. They could not get up in time to avoid the snowslide.

"Wynter!" The Beast shouted, charging across the path towards his reindeer. He rushed to shield the fallen reindeer, placing himself before the avalanche to protect him. Nearby, Gerda, injured from the fall, made a desperate attempt to scramble to the end of the glacier, but it was too late. The snowslide was coming in too fast to be avoided. Even the Robber Girl, who was ahead of the rest of the group, didn't have a chance of escaping.

The group felt a whirlwind of air strike them before the avalanche did, but even that was enough to knock them back. Then, the full force of the avalanche itself rammed into them, utterly engulfing them in snow and ice.

"Gerda!" Belle screamed out to her sister as the snowstorm surrounded them. She made a pitiful attempt to reach out to her sister, who scrambled towards her. However, before they could reach each other, Belle was swept away by the snowstorm, vanishing from Gerda's sight.

 _"Belle!"_ Gerda screeched as her sister vanished from view. Both she, the Beast, the Robber Girl and Wynter were nowhere to be seen in the snowstorm. It was then that Gerda herself was thrown into the white abyss by the force of the landslide.

Gerda tumbled down the side of the mountain, feeling her body bounce and twist every time she crashed onto the icy floor. She felt like a ragdoll; it was if she had no control over her own body.

Suddenly, her head cracked against something solid, knocking Gerda's senses out. As she continued to roll down the hill, showing no signs of stopping, the white in her vision turned to darkness as she felt herself lose consciousness.

 _"Kai. . ."_ Was the only word that escaped her lips before she slipped into the dark abyss of her mind.

* * *

Through the mirror, the Snow Queen observed the avalanche gleefully. A cold grin gleamed across her face, her fingers interlocked together. Her grin grew wider as she watched the group totally submerged in the snowstorm.

Of course, it had not been the group's own actions that had caused the avalanche; that was her doing. She had watched as the group had carefully passed by the glacier, and then, once they were halfway through, used her powers to cause the glacier to collapse. It had been too easy.

"That should put a wedge into their little rescue attempt," She sneered, satisfied.

She hadn't designed the avalanche to kill the group, not with the Robber Girl caught in the fray. But she had manipulated the snowstorm so that the group would be scattered. That way, she could decide correctly how to properly deal with the group once the avalanche was over.

She considered sending out her wolves. That, or simply send out her men to deal with the group. It also crossed her mind to simply let them be once the avalanche passed. After all, she doubted they'd be much of a threat separated.

As she mulled over the ideas, Tobias rushed into her throne room. "My queen!" He shouted urgently.

The Snow Queen groaned. "What is it?" She asked, irritated. She hated when her men barged in unexpectedly.

Tobias stopped running. "It's the boy," He said, doubling over and breathing heavily, out of breath.

"What about him?" The Snow Queen asked, only half paying attention. Her focus so far was on the avalanche in the mirror.

"We can't find him," Tobias blurted out. "He's run away."

At that moment, the Snow Queen forgot all about the avalanche. She whirled around on Tobias, her eyes filled with blue fire. Tobias locked eyes with her for a moment, and he genuinely thought he was staring into the eyes of the Devil.

 _". . . What?"_ She asked, her voice sounding inhuman.

* * *

Kai dashed down the empty, icy hallways, his heart racing.

He genuinely didn't know what he was doing. After the Snow Queen had left to attend to unknown matters, Kai had suddenly felt like any hopes of reasoning with the Queen had been rendered moot. Her heart was too hardened to listen. So, once she had left him, Kai had decided to take his chances and simply try and run.

During his time in the castle, Kai had taken the time to carefully memorize different areas. While he still didn't know all the different sections of the castle, he felt he knew enough to decipher an exit.

Even with that knowledge in mind, he knew escaping would be easier said than done. He knew the Snow Queen would catch on to his escape attempt eventually, and once she did, she would do everything in his power to stop him. So, he knew he had to find an exit _now_.

As he ran, he could hear footsteps coming from another hallway, followed by voices.

"We must find the boy! If we don't, the Snow Queen will have our heads!"

Kai nearly swore. _So, the Snow Queen has found out already._ His escape attempt had definitely been complicated.

Quickly, Kai rushed down the opposite end of the hallway. He didn't care how loud he was, he just wanted to get as far away from the castle guards as possible.

"I hear him!" He heard one of the guards call out. Kai could hear the footsteps grow louder, and as he turned his head around for just a second, he could see the silhouette of a dozen men, charging down the hallway after him.

Dodging down another hallway, Kai continued running, his heart thumping in his chest. He had to find some exit; it didn't even have to be a door. Simply a window would suffice.

Suddenly, a rather large ruffian stepped out at the end of the hallway, facing Kai. "I got you!" The man growled, his arms outstretched to catch him.

Kai continued running, charging towards the man at top speed. The man looked confused, but he braced himself to snatch Kai regardless.

At the last second, Kai ducked under the man's grasp, sliding across the smooth, icy surface and in between the man's legs. The man grunted in surprise. He didn't even have time to react when Kai suddenly kicked him in the rear, sending him crashing onto the ground.

Kai resumed running. As he did, he could hear the sounds of more of the Queen's men, pursuing him down the dark hallways.

"I see him!"

"There he is!"

"Give up, boy; there is no escape!"

Kai ignored their shouts. Instead, he focused ahead of him, at a large door at the end of the hallway. He hadn't been in this section of the castle before, but he hoped that door would lead him closer to freedom.

Without hesitating, Kai grabbed the handle of the door, twisted it, and barged through. As he opened the door, he was temporarily blinded by sunlight. When his vision returned to him, he saw a row of open windows across the left side of the hallway. Seeing sunlight invigorated Kai, and he ran forward, hoping to find his ticket to freedom.

Then, he froze solid in his tracks.

At the end of the hallway, a pack of wolves faced Kai, their golden eyes boring into his soul. They growled and hissed at Kai, their large fangs flashing at him and their claws extended.

Kai felt his stomach drop. Instead of freedom, he had reached another dead end.

 _"Where are you going, Kai?"_ The wolf at the front of the pack asked in a mocking tone. He was the largest of the wolves and had fur the color of night.

Kai trembled, feeling his skin crawl. He tried to find the words to speak, but it was as if his tongue had been frozen.

 _"Do you really think you can escape?"_ The black wolf taunted him, his lips curling back to reveal a fanged grin. _"Even if you leave the confines of this castle, you don't know how to get back to your little village."_

"I-I'll be one step closer to it, though," Kai stammered out. He tried to sound confident, but he was failing miserably.

The wolf seemed amused by Kai's retort. _"You don't seem to grasp the situation you are in,"_ He mused at Kai. _"The moment the Snow Queen took you, you were hers, and there is no escaping that."_

As he spoke, giant spikes of ice sprouted from the walls and ground behind Kai, blocking his only other exit. He couldn't go back.

 _"You cannot run any longer,"_ The wolf mocked him. _"Give yourself up. Don't make us have to hurt you."_ As he spoke, the wolves behind him started to bark and growl angrily.

Kai gulped. He turned around, and saw the Snow Queen's men storm towards the door behind him. The only separating him from them was the spikes of ice the Snow Queen had summoned to trap him.

"There he is!" One of the men growled. "Come on, get these ice spikes down. We have to go in and get him."

Kai realized he was totally trapped. On one side was the Snow Queen's men. On the other were the jaws of the wolves.

 _"There is no escape_ ," The wolf said. _"You belong to us now."_

For a moment, Kai believed him.

Then, his eyes wandered towards the open windows. He gazed out at them, seeing the sky, the sun, the land, all things that he had been denied while trapped. Now, he could see them with his own eyes. How he longed to be apart of the outside world once more.

It seemed the guards noticed where Kai was looking. "Don't think about it!" One of the guards shouted. "That's a ten story drop. You'll be dead the moment you hit the ground. There's not a chance in-"

He stopped as he saw Kai turn to face him. His eyes were empty, emotionless. The guards had no idea what was going on through Kai's mind.

"If it's a chance I have," Kai whispered to them. "I'll take it."

With that, Kai slammed his fists into the ice spikes, breaking them apart. He grabbed too of the spikes, taking them into his hands, before standing tall and facing the wolves.

The wolves took a defensive stance, wondering if Kai planned to use the spikes on them.

Instead, Kai dashed to the left, towards the window. Seeing what he was planning to do, the black wolf bolted towards them, desperate to stop him.

At the same time, Kai and the black wolf leaped into the air. The black wolf pounced at Kai, his legs and claws outstretched to tackle him. Alas, he missed Kai by an inch, and crashed into the remaining spikes, smashing them apart. Dazed, the black wolf looked up, and his yellow eyes widened as he saw Kai vanish out the window.

"No!" The guards shouted in unison. Jumping over the wolf, they rushed towards the window and gazed out. Below them, they saw Kai plummet down the side of the castle, the ice spikes still in his fists. They all gasped in horror, but could not look away. They all expected to see Kai land on the ground with a thud, his life ended just like that.

But Kai had no such intentions. Twisting his body upwards as he fell, Kai aimed the pointed end of the ice shards at the exterior of the castle walls. Quickly, he plunged the spike into the wall, stopping his fall in midair.

The men watched as Kai hung from the ice spike, dangling precariously off of it. Hesitantly, Kai raised his other arm, then stabbed the other spike into the wall as well. As he did, he yanked the other spike out, and repeated the process, slowly climbing down the wall.

The guards watched as Kai used the ice spikes to scale down the wall. Each step he took was a serious gamble on his life; if he made one wrong step, he would die. But he continued forward, and slowly, but surely, he began to reach the bottom of the castle.

The guards were too stunned by Kai's bravery to do anything. They simply watched with widened eyes as Kai scaled down the wall using nothing but the two ice spikes in his hands.

Eventually, Kai felt his feet land on something solid. Looking down, the boy's eyes widened as he saw that he had reached the bottom of the castle.

 _I made it_ , He thought, stunned and in disbelief. _I actually made it._

Letting the ice spikes remain embedded in the walls, Kai quickly turned and raced away from the castle, still stunned at his escape. Even as he ran, he could hear the guards talking from above.

"We have to alert the Queen!" One of the guards said. "Tell her the boy has escaped! Go, now!"

Kai felt his blood run cold at the statement. It was then that he realized that even though he had escaped the castle, he was nowhere near free.

Not even close.

* * *

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	20. Separated

_SpeechBubbleMe: I've never been in an avalanche, so I'm glad I got it right._

 _Anna and Thaw/Poor Queen Elsa: Ugh...okay, if you're going to review this story, you'd better not bring up my Frozen story, because they_ will _be removed._

 _Belle and Gerda: Belle's older, Gerda's younger. That was made perfectly clear early on._

* * *

Gerda had been engulfed in pitch black darkness. Lost in the emptiness of her subconscious, the girl floated through a seemingly endless dark space, with no sign of escape. For a moment, she wondered if this was what death felt like.

 _"Gerda. . . Gerda. . ."_

She could hear a voice, calling out to her. It sounded so distant, yet so close at the same time. It sounded familiar, but even so, Gerda was having difficulty recognizing it.

 _"Wake up, peasant!"_

That jogged Gerda's memory. That, and the slap to her head that accompanied the Robber Girl's voice.

Pulled out of the dark abyss, Gerda awoke suddenly, springing upwards and gasping for air. She felt like she had been held underwater for several minutes, not breathing, so she was desperate to suck in as much air as possible.

When Gerda had finally become aware of her surroundings, she found that she was no longer in the region the group had been traveling through. It appeared the avalanche must have swept her to a totally different location. Specifically, a forest area covered in snow, no doubt from the snowslide that had occurred.

As Gerda struggled to comprehend what had just happened, she felt a hand patting her on the shoulder.

"Finally, you're awake," A voice said from behind her. Gerda recognized it as the Robber Girl.

Craning her neck around to face her, Gerda said, "W-What happened?"

"An avalanche happened," The Robber Girl said in a stuck-up tone. "It swept us right off the mountain and down into the forest here. We're also closer to the routes containing the Snow Queen's men, so yeah, we're not in a very good position."

"Where's my sister?" Gerda asked, her head sore. "Where's the prince?"

The Robber Girl shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't find any sign of them," She admitted. "Believe me, I looked. They're nowhere around here."

Gerda's face fell at the news. "You don't think they're. . ."

The Robber Girl was quick to interrupt us. "Gerda, if that avalanche didn't kill us, it definitely didn't kill them," She reassured her. "They probably just got swept off to a different part of the forest."

"But what if they're in danger?" Gerda asked, concerned.

"'What if they're in danger'?" The Robber Girl repeated incredulously. "Gerda, you're talking about a grown woman and a _beast_. I think they can take care of themselves. You should be more concerned about us: we're just two little girls in a big forest, surrounded by enemies."

Gerda couldn't come up with a counter-argument to that. With no fresh ideas popping up, all she could do was ask, "What's going to happen to us now?"

The Robber Girl shrugged. "If we're being realistic: you're probably going to die, either at the hands of the thieves of the wolves, and I'm going to be in _serious_ trouble when the Snow Queen finds out I helped you."

Gerda's eyes widened at the Robber Girl's less-then-comforting words.

The Robber Girl seemed deep in thought, and then she happened to add, "Maybe, if I hand you over to the nearest guards, I can just tell the Snow Queen I was pretending to help you, and I can get out of this scot-free."

"Robber Girl!" Gerda shouted angrily, narrowing her eyes at the young thief.

"Okay, okay, it was just a thought," The Robber Girl, raising her arms and motioning for Gerda to calm down. "We just have to continue from here. The good news, at least, is that the walk to the Snow Queen's castle will be shorter. The bad news, of course, is that there are going to be more obstacles."

"You know these routes, right?" Gerda asked. "Surely you can find us a way past the Queen's guards."

"Well yeah, but it'll take a lot more effort," The Robber Girl pointed out.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gerda asked. Springing to her feet and helping the Robber Girl up, she said, "Let's get moving before anyone finds us."

With that, the two girls set off towards the Snow Queen's castle.

* * *

True to the Robber Girl's words, Belle, the Beast and Wynter had been swept off into a different section of the forest, far away from Gerda and the Robber Girl's Snow Queen had intentionally designed the avalanche so that it would separate the group, thus making it more difficult for them to complete their objective.

The moment Belle had awoken and realized that her sister was nowhere to be found, she had flown into a panic. She had rushed to and fro, shouting out her sister's name in the hopes that she would hear her, but alas, it was to no avail.

"Gerda!" Belle shouted out for what appeared to have been the hundredth time. By this point, she had more or less given up hope, and only called out Gerda's name out of withering optimism.

"Will you keep it down?" The Beast called out to her from a distance.

Frustrated, Belle whirled around to face the Beast. "Excuse me for showing compassion!" She shouted out to him. "Something you could show once in a while!"

"It has nothing to do with a lack of compassion," The Beast replied. "We're in unknown territory. Who knows what's out there? All you're doing is drawing unwanted attention towards us."

At that, Belle quieted down. She realized that the Beast had a point.

Letting out a sigh, Belle slumped down onto the ground. She was utterly out of ideas of what to do.

As she drifted into despair, Belle happened to glance over towards the Beast, and saw him kneeling over Wynter. The large reindeer lay on the ground, wounded from the avalanche. The Beast looked like he was wrapping something around one of the reindeer's legs.

Belle was surprised to see an unusual tenderness in the Beast's actions as he tended to the reindeer's injury. He held a genuine look of concern, which looked odd on the face of a monster.

"You do care about him, don't you?" Belle asked.

The Beast looked up at him. "What are you talking about?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Belle.

"Wynter," She said to the Beast. "You care about that reindeer?"

"He's my reindeer," The Beast said, turning away from Belle's gaze. "And besides, what does it matter if I do care for him?"

"It's just kind of. . . odd," Belle said, shrugging slightly.

"What is?"

"That such a cold man like you would reserve your affections for an animal," Belle said cheekily.

At that, the Beast sprang to his feet. "What's that supposed to mean?!" He roared, suddenly enraged.

Belle didn't even flinch at his sudden hostility. "I mean, you never show such tenderness to anyone else," She pointed out to him. "Not your servants, not Gerda. You wouldn't even show kindness to the Snow Queen when she was merely a beggar. Why?"

Something in the Beast's eyes seem to change. Before Belle could truly notice, he turned away from her, his features softened. "Let's get moving," He grumbled. "We need to go before someone finds us."

Half-lifting Wynter to his feet, the Beast led the limping reindeer through the forest. Belle simply let out a small sigh at the Beast's behavior, before eventually following suite.

* * *

"You. . . let him escape?"

The Snow Queen's guards trembled in their boots as they found themselves in the throne room of their enraged monarch. Despite the cold temperature, the men were sweating profusely out of sheer terror.

This was the exact position they had been hoping to avoid.

"M-My queen," One of the men said. "The boy was. . . faster than we thought. We couldn't-"

"He's a little boy," The Queen interrupted, running her hand down the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "How could it be so hard to capture a single boy?"

"We. . . underestimated him," The guard admitted. "But it won't happen again! We-"

The guard was cut off when a large ice spike suddenly sprouted from the ground, its tip stopping short mere inches from his throat. The guard froze up as the ice spike came just short from piercing him.

"We didn't know he had such will!" The guard sputtered in a desperate attempt to save himself. "He caught us off-guard!"

"You're going to have to come up with a better explanation than that," The Snow Queen whispered, her voice remaining chillingly calm. As she spoke, the ice spike extended slowly, the tip of it beginning to prick the guard's neck.

"He threw himself from the window. . . guk!" The guard said but was cut off by the ice spike pressing against his throat. He raised his head slightly so he could speak better. The ice spike continued to press against his throat as he did.

"He used your ice spikes to climb down the wall," He said slowly. "It was a one-in-a-million chance, I swear it!"

The ice spike suddenly detracted back into the ground. The guard immediately leaned down, breathing heavily in relief.

The Snow Queen hummed to herself softly, stroking her chin in deep thought. Her eyes wandered from the walls, to the mirror, and then to the guards.

Then, unexpectedly, the Queen swiped her arm out in a quick motion. Immediately, a burst of cold wind arose in the throne room and engulfed the guards. Their screams of sudden terror arose, but were quickly silenced.

The Snow Queen unclenched her fist. Instantly, the wind ceased. When it vanished, the guards were encased in ice, their expressions of sheer terror frozen on their faces.

The Snow Queen got up from her throne and began pacing past the frozen guards. "Kai is out there, somewhere," She said, continuing to stroke her chin. "He can't go home, though; he's too far away. Even so, retrieving him could prove difficult, especially with those peasants and that beastly prince looking for him."

The Snow Queen stopped pacing. "I have to deal with these issues, now," She said.

With a snap of her fingers, the Snow Queen summoned the pack of wolves to her throne room. _"Yes, my queen?"_ The black wolf whispered to her, lowering his head in respect, the other wolves following suit.

"I have a job for you," The Snow Queen told them. "As you know, a group of peasants have entered my lands to rescue Kai. Now that he's run away, I need you to keep them from finding each other."

 _"It shall be done, my queen,"_ The black wolf said.

"I separated them with my avalanche," The Snow Queen explained to them. "The young girl is with my robber girl, while the beast journeys with the older maiden. I want you to go after the latter two. Kill them."

 _"What about the children?"_ The black wolf asked.

"I can deal with them on a moment's notice," The Snow Queen replied. "Besides, I want no harm to come to the robber girl. She's important to me."

The wolves nodded.

"Go, now!" The Snow Queen commanded them. With a wave of her arm, she summoned a gust of wind to take the wolves into the forest. Soon enough, they had vanished from the throne room.

Once they were gone, the Snow Queen turned to her mirror. It was so close to being completed; it just needed one final piece. Once it was completed, she would finally be able to discover the truth of what had happened to her child.

But at the moment, she would focus her attention on finding Kai.

* * *

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	21. On the Run

_SpeechBubbleMe: All will be explained in time..._

 _Belle and Gerda: Aren't those the same question? But anyways, I don't know. Belle's a young adult and Gerda is somewhere in her pre-teens. And of course they're not twins._

 _Love Snow Queen: Okay..._

* * *

Kai had been running perilously through the massive, snowy forest ever since his daring escape from the Snow Queen's castle. He had no doubt that once the Snow Queen found out he had escaped, she would be looking for him, so he hoped to put as big a distance between him and the castle before that happened.

Frankly, he was stunned he had made it this far. He'd have figured the Snow Queen would have sent her wolves to go fetch him once she learned of his escape.

Just as he was pondering this, Kai thought he heard footsteps approaching in the distance. Panicking, Kai rushed to try and escape. Diving behind a large rock covered in snow, Kai scrambled to dig himself into the ground, covering himself in as much snow as possible to conceal himself from sight. Once he was sure he was fully encased in the snow, Kai lay frozen in place, careful not to make a sound.

While hiding, Kai heard footsteps draw near. His breathing slowed to a stop as he heard the footsteps come to an abrupt halt, only a few feet away from where he currently was.

"Where did he go?" Kai heard one of the men ask. Due to his snow covering, he couldn't see the men, but he could feel their presence, how close they were to his location.

"I know I heard him," Another men stated. "He can't be far!"

"Check for footprints," A third man commanded quickly.

"We can't," The second man replied. "The winter winds are blowing the prints away and covering them up."

"Dammit," The third man said, stamping his foot in the ground. "The Snow Queen will be really upset if we return empty-handed. We have to keep looking. Come on!"

Kai heard the men rush off, and a wave of relief washed over him. Still cautious, he remained hidden in the snow even after the sound of the men's footsteps had ceased, just in case any more men were nearby.

After a short period of time had elapsed, Kai finally emerged from the covering of snow. He made sure to look all around him, to make sure that there was nobody else there. Once he was sure the coast was clear, Kai stood up and walked off in the opposite direction of the Queen's guards.

From that point on, that was all Kai did. He simply walked in no clear direction, wondering to himself how long he'd be able to keep it up. Unlike Gerda, he had no magical gem to guide him. The only thing he could rely on currently was his wit, and pure luck.

Eventually, Kai stumbled upon a village in the clearance. Immediately, Kai felt a sense of relief; hopefully, he'd be able to find a place to stay and hide from the Snow Queen there. After all, a child would stand out less in a village full of people than in a vacant forest.

Quietly slipping into the village unnoticed, Kai sneaked through an alley. Peaking out from behind a corner, Kai took notice of a man pushing a cart down the sidewalk. The cart had a blanket on top of it.

Making sure the man wasn't looking, Kai quickly reached out and snatched the blanket as the man passed by. He vanished into the alley before the man even noticed what happened.

Crouching in the alleyway, Kai went to work wrapping the blanket around his head and shoulders, almost like a hood, in order to mask his face. He used a piece of rope to tie the hood around his neck to keep it from falling off. Once his disguise was finished, Kai stepped out of the alley and walked down the sidewalk, keeping his head low.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kai saw a group of children walking down the same road. _Perhaps if I'm walking with a group, people won't notice me,_ he thought to himself.

Picking up a slight pace, Kai quickly caught up to them, walking close behind them, but keeping enough of a distance so that they didn't grow suspicious. Nearby, none of the townsfolk seemed to notice Kai as he walked with the group.

Kai breathed in relief. So far, his disguise had worked. Now, he just needed to find a place to stay until he could make his journey home.

* * *

Belle, the Beast, and Wynter walked through the forest slowly and silently, all of them in a dull mood. The loss of Gerda and the Robber Girl had cast a damp spirit over them, especially Belle.

"I don't even see why we're continuing forward," The Beast complained. "It was your sister who wanted to go and rescue that boy, and now she's gone, and she's taken her gem with her! We have no idea where we're going!"

"Well it's not like we have much options!" Belle snapped. "It's not like you know the directions back to your castle. We just have to keep moving forward, and hopefully, we'll find Gerda and the robber girl. That avalanche couldn't have taken them that far away from us."

"Well if it didn't, we'd have found them by now!" The Beast pointed out.

"Don't yell at me!" Belle shouted at him.

"What do you think _you're_ doing?!" The Beast snarled.

Suddenly, Wynter made a grunting noise, causing the two to whirl towards him. The reindeer's eyes were full of panic, and his head was darting left and right. He was stamping his legs on the ground and stepping backwards, grunting loudly.

"Wynter?" The Beast asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Belle looked around, and her eyes widened as she noticed several dark figures looking in the darkness of the forest, surrounding them.

"I think I have a good idea what's scaring him," Belle whispered as she tugged on the Beast's paw. It was only then that the Beast took notice of the figures as they made themselves known to their victims.

Slowly, dozens of large wolves stepped out from behind the trees and bushes, snarling and snapping their jaws at Belle, the Beast, and Wynter. They encircled the three, cutting off all of their exits. Trapped, the three huddled close together, cornered on all sides.

Finally, the last, largest wolf stepped out from the shadows. The other wolves stepped to the sides to allow him to pass through them.

The black wolf came to a stop, facing Belle. His yellow eyes met with her own, his stare boring into her soul.

 _"Well, well, well,"_ The black wolf hissed, a fanged grin appearing on his jaws. _"What do we have here?"_

* * *

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	22. Prey

_SpeechBubbleMe: Okay then._

 _Belle and Gerda: I'll keep her nameless as long as I want to._

 _Antha1: Eh, I felt I'd spice things up a bit by having him escape. But how long can it last?_

* * *

The Robber Girl led Gerda through a long pathway in the snowy woods, her hand entangled around Gerda's wrist as they walked. Ever since the two had continued their journey with just each other as company, they had luckily managed to avoid any ruffians in the area.

Eventually, Gerda stopped walking. "I'm cold," She said, shivering. "We need to find a place to stay."

The Robber Girl turned to glare at her. "Are you serious?" She asked, gritting her teeth. " _Now_ you want to bring this up?"

Gerda stared at the Robber Girl with pleading eyes. After a few moments, the Robber Girl's face softened up, and she let out a sigh. "Fine," She said, giving in.

"You know these areas well," Gerda pointed out. "Do you know a place where we could stay?"

The Robber Girl shifted her eyes. "I happen to know a woman who lives nearby," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "But she might not be too willing to let _me_ stay."

Gerda squinted her eyes at the Robber Girl. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Let's go find her," The Robber Girl said and abruptly started walking quickly, dragging Gerda with her.

The two girls rushed across the snowy landscape for several minutes until finally, the Robber Girl halted Gerda. The redhead saw, a short distance away, a wooden cottage out in the woods. A fireplace was set up near the cottage, along with several logs stacked up against the house.

"Here we are," The Robber Girl said, before dragging Gerda towards the entrance of the house.

Once they had reached the cottage, the Robber Girl lightly pushed Gerda towards the door. "For my sake, you should probably ask to give us shelter," She told the redhead, before promptly hiding behind her.

Gerda shrugged, then knocked on the door lightly. She then rubbed her hands together nervously.

After a few moments, the door swung open and an elderly woman appeared at the door, waving an axe in the air. "For the last time, you little ruffian, get out of my-" She started, but paused when she saw Gerda standing before her.

"Oh," The old woman said, calming down and lowering her axe. "What brings you here?"

Gerda stood frozen in place for a few seconds, her eyes glued to the woman's axe. "Um. . . me and my. . . friend were wondering if we could stay here for the time being. Please?"

The old woman's features softened. "Oh of course you can, my dear," She said warmly. "But. . . where is your friend?"

Gerda stepped to the side, revealing the Robber Girl, hiding behind her. The dark-haired child had been crouched down on the ground, her arms over her head, but she slowly raised her head and looked up at the old woman.

"Hello. . ." She whispered, waving nervously at the elderly woman.

Immediately, the old woman's warm features vanished and was replaced by a hardened glare. " _You_. . ." She growled, and immediately, the woman raised her axe once more. The Robber Girl let out a squeak.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my cottage!" The woman roared in sudden anger. The Robber Girl recoiled in tear, shielding her face.

"Wait!" Gerda shouted, diving between the old woman and the Robber Girl. "This girl is with me. She's helping me through the area. I promise you, she'll cause you no trouble while we stay here."

The elderly woman stopped, but she didn't lose her suspicious glare.

"Please, I promise you," Gerda pleaded to the woman. "Just let us in."

After a few, tense moments, the woman lowered her axe. "Alright, you can stay," She said, and stepped to the side to allow the two girls to enter the house.

As Gerda and the Robber Girl were about to enter, the woman told the redhead, "Do keep an eye on that little rascal you have with you, though. I wouldn't want any incidents to happen in my cottage."

"Don't worry; I will," Gerda said, before she and the Robber Girl strode into the house. The old woman followed suite, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Belle and the Beast huddled close together as they faced off against the dozens of wolves that were advancing towards them. They were utterly surrounded; every direction they looked, there was a wave of dark fur and glistening teeth and fangs in their sight.

The black wolf bared his teeth and readied himself to pounce. _"Now we can cut out the games. . ."_ He snarled.

"Run!" Belle shouted quickly. She dove onto Wynter's back, and the reindeer quickly dashed off to the side, the Beast following suite. The reindeer leaped over the heads of the wolves surrounding them, landing outside of the circle the animals had formed. The Beast, meanwhile, batted the wolves out of the way, taking off after Belle.

 _"Get them!"_ The black wolf roared. The wolf pack immediately gave chase, spreading out into the darkness of the forest to quickly cut off their retreating foes.

Wynter galloped across the landscape as quickly as possible, doing everything in his power to elude the band of ravenous animals. He dodged between thickets, jumped over logs, and made quick changes in direction. But no matter what he did, the wolves remained on their trail.

Behind them, the Beast shouted, "Could you stop changing direction so much! I can barely keep up!"

Belle craned her head around to face him. "Forgive me for trying to keep us alive!" She shouted at him.

"How do you even plan to lose these creatures?" The Beast asked as he managed to keep up with Belle, dashing side-by-side with her and Wynter.

"Well it's better than staying there and getting eaten!" Belle snapped back at him.

Suddenly, a wolf dashed out from between the trees and made a wild dash towards Belle. "Look out!" The Beast shouted, and he quickly leaped and intercepted the wolf, knocking it out of the air and sending it crashing in a heap in the snow.

Belle let out a relieved breath. "That was close," She whispered. However, her relief vanished as she saw two more wolves appear in view. They both leaped in the air, aiming for Belle's head.

Thinking quickly, Belle yanked down the reigns around Wynter's neck, causing the reindeer to drop onto the ground. The two wolves soared right over Belle's head and landed in the snow, allowing the three to continue running.

Belle turned to face the wolves, who were struggling to get up. "We made it!" She said, in awe at their lucky escape. "I can believe we-"

"Watch out!" The Beast shouted in horror.

Belle whirled around suddenly and her eyes widened as she saw a row of fanged teeth emerge from the dark, aimed at Wynter's legs. She pulled on the reigns to make the reindeer slow down, but it was too late.

An agonized bray filled the air as the wolf's jaws snapped around Wynter's legs, its fangs sinking into the reindeer's skin. The wolf clamped its jaws tightly around Wynter's leg and jerked its head, bringing the reindeer to the ground and causing Belle to fly off his back.

"Wynter!" The Beast shouted in horror. He quickly rushed to his reindeer's aid, swatting the wolf away with his arm. The wolf crashed into a nearby tree and landed on the ground, unconscious.

The Beast inspected Wynter's wound. The bite mark was deep; blood drizzled out of Wynter's leg. The reindeer moaned in pain, laying on the ground, barely able to move. Nearby, Belle struggled to get off the ground.

Deep laughter began to echo in the darkness. The Beast's eyes narrowed as he heard the taunting laughter surrounding him and Wynter. He rose from the ground and turned around, his teeth bared in anger.

Slowly, the wolves began to appear out of the darkness from all sides. They encircled the three, snapping their jaws and licking their lips hungrily, silently mocking them and their futile situation.

Despite the odds, Belle and the Beast didn't give up. Belle grabbed a nearby tree branch and brandished it as a club, while the Beast extended his claws, readying himself for a fight.

If they were going to die, they'd at least die fighting.

"Come on!" He roared at the wolves, daring them to attack.

Eventually, one of the wolves dashed out from the pack and charged, leaping into the air towards the Beast. Immediately, the Beast lashed out with his claws and struck the wolf in the jaw. The wolf soared to the side and landed on the ground, several deep, bloody claw marks engraved in his skin.

Another wolf made a quick dash towards Belle, but she brought her club down on its head as it neared her. The force of the blow sent the wolf crashing onto the ground, stunned.

The wolves barked savagely at the two, furious. Several would dart out from the crowd and snap at Belle or the Beast, then dash out of the way to avoid retaliation. Occasionally, either of the two would manage to strike one of the advancing wolves, causing it to either flee and fall unconscious.

One wolf pounced from behind, latching its jaws around the Beast's arm. The Beast roared in pain before grabbing the wolf with his other arm. Hoisting the wolf in the air, the Beast twisted the wolf's body in his paws and hurled it towards several other wolves, knocking them onto the ground.

The Beast breathed heavily, holding onto his wounded arm. He faced off against the wolves, his eyes filled with rage. He bared his teeth and snarled at them, trying to intimidate them.

Nearby, one wolf harassed Belle, snapping at her legs. She swung her branch towards it, but as she did, another wolf emerged from behind and caught the branch in its jaws, wrenching it from her grasp. Before Belle could react, the wolf bit down on the branch, snapping it in two effortlessly.

Belle gasped in horror, realizing that her only weapon was gone. Immediately, one of the wolves tackled her to the ground, pinning her down. More wolves joined, overtaking her.

Belle's screams of horror alerted the Beast, who spun around in her direction. His eyes widened as he saw Belle pinned down, the wolves keeping her detained.

Before the Beast could respond, a deep laughter attracted his attention. The Beast's eyes narrowed, and he turned around to the source of the laughter. He bared his teeth as he saw the large, black wolf emerge from the pack, a sadistic grin on his face.

 _"Hello there, prince,"_ The black wolf greeted mockingly.

The Beast growled, and then let out an enraged roar. The black wolf didn't flinch, and simply paced back and forth, keeping his eyes fixated on the Beast. The Beast watched him closely as he paced, standing in a fighting position.

The other wolves began to walk forward, but the black wolf turned and growled at them. _"Keep away!"_ He ordered them. _"I will deal with this cursed prince myself!"_ The other wolves obediently backed away a considerable distance.

The black wolf's eyes turned to the wolves holding Belle. _"Make sure she watches_ ," He hissed towards them. The wolves nodded in response.

The black wolf finally turned towards the Beast. He dug his claws into the ground and hunched his back, readying himself to fight. The Beast brandished his claws, preparing himself for what the large wolf had in store.

For a few moments, neither moved. They simply kept their gazes upon each other, both waiting for who would make the first move. Around them, the wolves watched in anticipation.

Finally, the Beast surged forward quickly, bringing his claws down towards the black wolf's head. However, the wolf quickly dodged out of way of the Beast's claws. Unprepared for the wolf's speed, the Beast tripped and landed in the snow. Rising off of the ground, the Beast turned his head around towards the wolf, who was now standing several feet away. He grinned at the Beast.

The Beat's anger soared, and he sprung from the ground and charged at the wolf once more, but once again, the wolf dodged out of the way.

For several minutes, the Beast pursued the black wolf, swinging and swiping at him with his claws, but the black wolf agilely dodged his attacks each time. With each missed strike, the Beast's frustration grew.

The black wolf doze past the Beast, whirling around to face him. The Beast quickly spun around and doze towards him, claws readied for the kill. However, as the Beast surged forward, the black wolf stepped to the side. But, as he did, he raised his claws and slashed into the Beast's side.

The Beast doubled over in pain, crashing onto the ground. He lay on the ground for a few moments, his teeth bared in pain. He ran his paw over his side, and felt warm blood drizzling out.

Nearby, Belle let out a horrified gasp. The wolves howled out in uproar.

Furious, the Beast arose from the ground and turned towards the black wolf. He rushed towards him, arms outstretched towards him. However, the black wolf surged forward, clamping his fangs around the Beast's wrist.

The Beast howled in pain, and didn't have enough time to react when the black wolf's paw swung out and connected with his head, sending the Beast crashing onto the ground. Blood streamed out of his wounds.

"No!" Belle cried out in horror. She struggled to get off the ground, but the wolves held her down.

The black wolf encircled the fallen prince. _"I expected more from you, prince,"_ He sneered, shaking his head in a disappointed fashion. _"It appears I expected too much."_

The Beast's breathing intensified. Forcing himself off the ground, he stood upright and faced the black wolf. Despite the pain, he bared his teeth at him and surged forward once more. He swiped at the black wolf, who backed away to avoid his attacks.

Throughout it all, Belle struggled to free herself and intervene somehow, but it was of no use. The wolves were too strong.

Eventually, the black wolf saw an opening to attack and pounced, slamming into the Beast's chest and forcing him into ta tree. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of the Beast, and he doubled over, landing on his knees and clutching his stomach.

The black wolf backed away. _"There's no point in fighting,"_ He sneered. _"Your death is inevitable."_

The Beast raised his head to shoot the black wolf a defiant glare. Immediately, the wolf lashed out, his claws slashing the Beast's face and causing him to crash onto the ground with a pained grunt. Before he could recover, the black wolf clamped his jaws around the Beast's arm and dragged him away from the tree, releasing him when he was in the center of the wolf pack. Around them, the wolves continued howling in pleasure.

The wolf encircled the injured Beast, snapping at him. _"What did you think you'd be able to accomplish by coming here?"_ He asked the Beast. _"Did you think you'd be able to lift your curse, and become human again, by helping this woman?"_

The Beast slowly turned his head to face the black wolf. He was exhausted and wounded, but his eyes still contained deep passion and rage.

The black wolf bared his fangs and narrowed his eyes at the Beast. _"You've failed!"_ He growled, and his clawed paw struck out once more, slashing the Beast's face once more, causing the Beast's head to snap around.

Belle continued to struggle in the wolves' grip, watching on in horror. "Stop it!" She cried out futilely.

The black wolf lowered his head towards the Beast's ear. _"You will never be human again_ ," He whispered into his ear. _"All you've done is bring this woman to her death."_

The wolf's eyes seemed to glisten as he spoke, and suddenly, his grin grew wider.

 _"Just like you did in the past."_

And with that, the black wolf's paw reached out and snatched something out of the Beast's cape. He slung it out onto the snow towards Belle, in full view of everyone present.

Belle squinted her eyes at the object. It was a silver locket.

And within the locket was a picture of a younger woman in the snow, embracing Wynter. And kneeling next to her was none other than the young prince.

Belle's eyes widened in shock, and she rose her head towards the Beast. Even from the distance between them, she saw the way the Beast's expression changed. How his hardened and defiant face changed to that of horror and sudden fear as he saw Belle observe the locket.

The black wolf's paws shot out and grabbed the Beast's horn, jerking his head upright. The Beast growled as his head was yanked up.

 _"Closing off your hear to others, concealing your humanity. . . and all to hide your pain,"_ The black wolf sneered in a mocking tone as he dragged the Beast towards could see the Beast's pained expression; the fight in him was gone.

 _"You try to be strong, but your monstrous form is but a facade!"_ The black wolf roared. _"Now everyone will know your weakness!"_

He hurled the Beast towards Belle, the prince landing on the ground in front of her. His arms and face were covered in blood, and there were scratches and bruises across his body.

Weakly, the Beast raised his head towards Belle, and she could see the pain and suffering in his eyes. But somehow, she could tell that the pain and suffering wasn't being caused by his physical injuries, but his mental ones.

Behind the Beast, the black wolf chuckled. _"Yes, look at her, prince,"_ He sneered cruelly. _"She's the last thing you'll ever see."_ As he spoke, two other wolves dragged Wynter and dropped him next to Belle.

The weakened Beast turned his expression towards the locket. Belle could see his eyes fixated on the young woman in the picture. Then, the Beast raised his head once again, this time looking over Belle's shoulder, but Belle couldn't see what he was looking at. However, she noticed something in his eyes seemed to change.

The wolves began to surround the three of them. Belle knew they were preparing to strike.

But, just before they did, the Beast turned to stare at Belle, his eyes filled with regret. Clearing struggling to breath, he whispered to her, "I'm. . . sorry."

Before she could understand his statement, the Beast quickly grabbed the locket before suddenly charging at Belle in a sudden burst of speed. Stretching out his arms, he grabbed Belle and Wynter while simultaneously knocking the wolves to the side.

Then he threw himself, Belle, and Wynter off the side of the hill and into a large river, allowing the currents to sweep them away.

The wolves dashed down the hill after them, but by then, the three were long gone, swept away by the strong water currents. The wolves could only watch as their prey escaped their grasp in the river.

Standing atop the hill, the black wolf watched the three as they floated off, and he narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth.

His prey had managed to evade him for now. But they could not elude him forever.

He would find them. And then, he would kill them.

* * *

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	23. Shelter

_SpeechBubbleMe: Fixed the typo._

 _Belle and Gerda: No._

* * *

"Hello ma'am, can I stay in your house?"

Kai didn't know what else to say when he'd arrived on the doorsteps of an old Finnish woman after straying from the group of peasant children. He'd realized he couldn't run the risk of staying out in the open, lest any of the Snow Queen's ruffians arrived and recognized him, so he knew he'd had to take shelter.

He only hoped the old woman would take pity on him and not ask any specific questions.

To his relief, the woman said, "Of course you can, dear. Come inside."

Kai let a rush of air escape his lips, and hurriedly rushed inside the woman's house. Once he was in the house, he stared out the windows of the house, silently checking to see if any of the Queen's guards were nearby. When he saw nothing, he removed his disguise and walked into the living room silently, relieved that he was now in relative safety, for the time being. He took a seat in a small chair, facing the fireplace.

"So, what brings a young lad like you to this village?" The Finnish woman asked as she shut the door and walked into the living room.

Kai let out a small groan, shutting his eyes tight. He'd been hoping to avoid being questioned. "What are you talking about?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the fireplace and not on the woman.

"Young boy, I've lived in this village my whole life, and I know and recognize everyone who lives here," The woman said to him. "And I most assuredly do not recognize you."

Kai rubbed his arm, somewhat uncomfortable. "Well. . . it's a long story," He mumbled, shifting his eyes. He wasn't sure if he trusted the woman to tell him how he'd come upon the village; if he told her he was on the run from the Snow Queen, would she turn in him to her guards?

"Let me guess," The woman whispered, snapping Kai out of his thoughts. "You've gotten yourself into some sort of trouble, and that's why you're on the run?"

Kai froze up. "How. . . how did you. . ."

"Why else would you be wearing a disguise?" The woman asked him.

Kai gritted his teeth, feeling his skin crawl. "Look ma'am, it doesn't matter what trouble I'm in," He said to her, trying to remain calm. "Do you happen to know where the Kingdom of Grimm is, because I need to get there."

"So that's where you're from?" The woman asked him. "That's far away. How did you end up here?"

"That's not important," Kai muttered. "Just how do I get back?"

"Well that's not an easy question to answer," The woman explained to him softly. "Even if you did know the way, it's doubtful you'd get far, especially if you're fleeing from the Snow Queen's men."

Kai groaned in frustration. "Well, what do I do?" He asked, running his hand down his face.

"Why don't you just stay here for now?" The woman suggested to him. "We'll talk more later."

Kai let out a sigh. As bad as it was, he realized he didn't have that many options. It was either stay in the village hidden, or venture out into unfamiliar territory, where he would inevitably get recaptured and taken back to the Snow Queen, who would undoubtedly be very upset at his attempted escape.

"Fine, I'll stay," He grumbled, defeated. "But I expect to be back in the Kingdom of Grimm soon."

The old woman smiled. "Don't worry, lad," She reassured him. "Something tells me your wish will soon be granted."

* * *

Belle awoke from unconsciousness against the icy shore of the river.

For a few seconds, she forgot what had happened, where she was. But soon, the memories came flowing back to her and she remembered everything; the wolves, the Beast nearing meeting his death facing them, and him pushing her and Wynter into the river to save them from certain doom.

Her heart rate accelerated as she remembered the Beast's grave injuries. Springing upwards, her head darted back and forth as she looked for any sign of him or Wynter.

Eventually, she found them.

Wynter was awake. He rested on the ground, breathing heavily and licking the bite marks on his leg. He was hurt, but he looked like he would make it. The same, however, could not be said for the Beast.

He lay on the shore, a great distance away from Belle and Wynter, his body limp and his head slumped to the side. Even from the distance, Belle could see the grave injuries that marred his body. Bloody scratches and bite marks covered his skin, and there were large puddles of blood covering the shore.

 _"Beast!"_ Belle cried out in horror. She ran across the shore towards him, landing on her knees at his side to closely inspect his injuries. She rested her hands on his massive arm, trying to feel for a pulse. After a few moments, she felt a pulse, and sighed with relief. It was faint, but it let her know that he was alive, though just barely.

However, she knew he wouldn't survive for long outside in the bitter cold. She had to find him shelter.

Wynter walked up to the two and gently brushed his nose against Belle's head. When the young maiden looked up at him, the reindeer turned to stare off into the distance, letting out a snort.

Belle followed his gaze, and her eyes widened when she saw a large cave in the distance.

"Thank you, Wynter," She said to him gratefully. She rested a hand on the Beast's shoulder and added, "Now, help me carry him."

* * *

When the Beast's eyes opened, he was shrouded in darkness. However, he could see a searing light out of the corner of his eye, and he could feel warmth from behind him. Using what little strength he had left to turn around, the Beast saw a small fire a few feet away from him. It was then that he realized that he was in a cave.

"Oh good, you're awake," A voice said from the Beast's side.

With a groan, the Beast raised his head in the direction of who had spoken. "Belle?"

The young woman knelt down next to the Beast, staring at him with concern. Nearby, Wynter lay down next to the fire, his eyes distant.

"We carried you into this cave," Belle explained to him. "You lost a lot of blood; I had to tear your cape in order to bandage up your wounds."

The Beast's eyes widened in shock, and he looked down at his body. Indeed, the fabric of his cape had been torn apart and used to wrap up his arms and waist in order to stop the bleeding. He would've chastised Belle for making such a decision without his approval, but he realized it wasn't worth it. Instead, he lay back down on the ground.

"Thank you," He whispered.

It was then that the Beast, out of the corner of his eye, noticed Belle toss a small object towards him. He craned his neck and squinted his eyes at what she had thrown to him.

It was his locket.

The Beast turned to Belle, his eyes filled with confusion. He was met with Belle's tired, yet also anxious, gaze.

"I saved you from death, so I want something in return," Belle whispered to him. She inched close to the Beast, her face hard. Nearby, Wynter watched the two with concern.

Even before Belle concluded her statement, the Beast already understood what she wanted.

"Tell me who she is."

* * *

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	24. Pains of the Past

_I am a burglar: Sure thing._

 _Sorry for the delay; I was occupied with other matters. Hopefully, I can start updating at a less slow pace from now on._

* * *

The Beast stared down at his locket, gazing at the young maiden in the picture. His eyes were tired and weary, his breath hard and labored. Belle could see in his eyes that he was reliving happier moments from his past.

"Please, prince," Belle pleaded to him. "I need to know. What happened?"

The Beast slowly looked up from the locket towards Belle. Their eyes locked for a few moments, before the Beast turned away from her gaze to stare back at the locket. After a few moments, he picked the locket off the ground, holding it in his paws closely. His eyes closed shut as waves of memories from the past began flowing back into him.

"I was only a boy," The Beast said. He sounded different than usual; his voice was softer, more quiet. It sounded so jarring coming from the fangs of such a monstrous creature.

"From a young age, my parents wanted me to inherit their throne with a maiden of royalty standing by my side," The Beast said slowly, his eyes gazing at the fireplace before him. "They tried to set me up with princesses my age, hoping I would fall for one of them, any of them. But I couldn't. I didn't love them."

The Beast took a deep, laboring breath, then continued. "Then I met _her_ ," He whispered, showing the girl in the locket to Belle. "It was but a stroke of luck that I happened to come across her while hunting in the woods. Almost immediately, I was drawn to her."

Belle squinted her eyes at the girl in the picture. The maiden was indeed beautiful, with golden hair and winter-like eyes. But as Belle examined her closely, she came to a realization.

"She isn't a princess," She whispered.

"No, she was just a peasant girl," The Beast confirmed. "But I didn't care. I just wanted to be with her. Whenever I had the opportunity, I would venture from the castle to be with her. I spent large amounts of time in the village she was from, getting to know her."

"What was she like?" Belle asked.

"She was the. . . kindest soul I'd ever met," Belle said, a smile appearing on his lips as he recalled fond memories. "We were friends almost immediately. She also introduced me to. . . Wynter." He tilted his head towards the reindeer resting by Belle's side.

Belle sighed. "I wish I'd known her," She said.

"I know you'd have gotten along with her," The Beast replied. "As for me, I knew I was falling in love, in a way I'd never had with any of the princesses I'd interacted with in the past. But it couldn't be."

"What happened?" Belle asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

The Beast's face fell. "My parents were very displeased when they found out I'd fallen for a peasant girl," He told her. "They said I had to forget about her, that I had to focus on the kingdom. But I didn't want to rule. I just wanted to be with her. I told them. . . I told them that when I was older I'd leave the castle and go live in the village with her."

A gasp escaped Belle's lips when the Beast confessed to his statement. She didn't utter a word, instead allowing him to continue.

"My parents didn't say a thing to me after that," The Beast said, his eyes becoming unfocused. "But I saw the look in my father's eyes. It was so. . . empty and hollow. I didn't know why, but I felt like I had made a grave mistake."

The fire crackled briefly, then shimmered down.

"A few days later, the girl went missing," The Beast said, his fur bristling. "Her parents were so worry, but it was nothing compared to the terror I felt. I searched the village, the forest, overturning every stone in order to find her. But it was as if she vanished completely."

He paused for a moment, letting the horrid memories take their toll on his mind. "Eventually, she was found. A woodsman was out fishing when his hook snagged on something larger than a fish out in the lake. Turns out, it was her. But by then, it was too late. _Far_ too late."

Belle's face contorted into horror. She could only picture the scene in her head.

"Her death was ruled the result of an animal attack," The Beast said, his voice filled with scorn. "But I know what _really_ happened." Getting to his feet, the Beast slowly paced around the fireplace, his arms folded behind his back. His eyes became dark as he walked around the cave.

"After her passing. . . I was never the same," He whispered, hanging his head. "My parents and servants tried to make me forget about her, tried to introduce a new love into my life, one who was actually born from royalty. But it was too late. Any love within me had died, just like her."

As he spoke, he held the locket in his paws, squeezing it tightly in his fingers. He shut his eyes tight, as if trying to keep tears from streaming from them.

Belle stared up at the Beast, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm. . . sorry," She said.

"Don't be," The Beast whispered. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I was the one who led her to her death when I stepped into her life."

Exhausted, both physically and mentally, the Beast collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. The locket slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the ground at Belle's knees. The brunette picked up the locket and stared at the picture, heaving heavily.

Turning to the Beast, Belle said, "Prince, it's not your fault. Love is a wonderful thing; you shouldn't regret having it."

The Beast's eyes flickered for a moment as he lay on the ground. However, he said nothing. Slowly, his eyes began to close, and the Beast began to drift off, still weakened from his earlier wounds.

Belle watched as the Beast drifted off to sleep. She stared down at the locket, and let out a deep sigh. Slowly, Belle nestled next to the Beast, the locket still clutched tight in her hands.

Soon, she had fallen asleep as well.

* * *

The Snow Queen paced around in her throne room, exasperated. Neither her men nor the wolves had reported back to her on Kai or the peasant's whereabouts, which could only mean they had failed in locating them.

"How could finding one boy be so difficult?!" She exclaimed, frustrated.

Pausing, the Snow Queen turned towards her mirror. It was so close to completion, but one piece was still missing. That one piece was all that was keeping her from finding her lost child.

Eventually, the Snow Queen rushed towards the mirror and shouted, "Show me my lost child!"

The Snow Queen waited. A few seconds passed. A minute.

The mirror didn't change.

The Snow Queen's eyes darkened. _"Show me my lost child!"_ She repeated, more forcefully this time.

When she, once again, received no answer, the Snow Queen gripped the sides of the mirror, threatening to shatter it into pieces. "Haven't I suffered enough?!" She shrieked into the mirror. "Haven't I done enough to deserve reward. I've spent over a _decade_ trying to find my child! Don't I deserve to have what I have lost returned to me?!"

Even still, the surface of the mirror remained unchanged. All the Snow Queen could see in the mirror was her own reflection, her face twisted in anger.

The Snow Queen tore away from the mirror, growling. "I see how it is," She snarled, turning to stare at the mirror. "You just won't let things be simple. I have to resort to drastic measures if I am to get what I want."

The Snow Queen's hands curled into fists. "Alright then, so be it!" She shouted angrily. "I'll play your game. Mark my words, I will have my child returned to me!"

The Queen's eyes began to glow a bright blue. Her mouth opened, and a cold mist flew out of her lips, transforming into a snowy whirlwind that began to engulf the throne room. It swirled around the Snow Queen, causing her hair and gown to flow wildly in the air.

Then, suddenly, the whirlwind imploded, and tiny fragments of ice were sent flying in all directions, phasing right through the icy walls.

* * *

Outside the castle, the ice fragments floated from the tower of the castle downwards towards the snowy landscape surrounding the Snow Queen's tower. They landed softly across the snowy floor, sinking deep into the snow.

For a few moments, the ground was still. Nothing stirred.

And then, a large, icy, clawed hand burst out out of the ground.

* * *

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	25. Through the Eyes of the Dead

_SpeechBubbleMe: Thanks._

* * *

Deep within the forest, a father and his young son were out fishing in one of the few lakes that hadn't been frozen over.

"Father, I think I've caught something!" The boy called out with glee as his fishing hook snagged something in the lake. He attempted to reel in his catch, but whatever the fishing hook had caught was struggling hard against the hook's grip.

Seeing his son struggling, the man gripped the boy by the wrist. "Let me help," He said, and the two began to pull together to draw in the hook's catch.

Even with their combined strength, however, whatever was attached to the hook was too strong for both of them. Before either could comprehend what was happening, the fish hook was abruptly yanked from the boy's fingers and sucked into the lake.

"What the-" The father said in shock. He was interrupted when a large figure burst out from the lake's surface with such force that the canoe they were sitting in was nearly capsized.

Filled with sudden terror, the father and son dropped down onto the canoe, peeking out from above it to observe the strange creature as it surfaced above the lake.

The creature looked human in appearance, but at the same time, not quite. He had pale, icy skin, and frozen hair clinging to his skin. At the end of his hands were large claws shaped like ice spikes, sharp and deadly. But the most striking characteristic was his eyes.

They were the eyes of the Snow Queen.

The canoe's residents froze in shock as the ice creature slowly emerged from the lake. As it did, the two could see the end of the boy's fishing hook, lodged deep in the creature's neck. Shockingly, the creature didn't even seem to acknowledge the hook as it crawled out of the lake and onto land.

Then, as the father and son watched on in horror, more ice creatures began to emerge from the lake and ground. They dug out of the ground or swam to the shore. There were men, women, even children, but all of them had the same icy skin and cold eyes.

As the father and son watched, an icy hand shot out from the water and grabbed the boy by the collar, roughly dragging him out of the canoe and into the lake. A tall ice creature emerged from the lake soon afterwards, holding the struggling boy in his icy grip.

"Ellis!" The father shouted out in horror. Quickly, he grabbed his paddle and began striking the ice creature in a desperate attempt to force it to release his son. However, the ice creature merely flicked his arm and snapped the paddle in two.

The ice creature spun the boy around to stare him straight in the eyes. Young, fearful green eyes were met with icy, soulless ones.

For a few, tense seconds, the ice creature locked eyes with the terrified boy, not moving. Then, the ice creature tossed the boy to the side in disinterest. The child landed head-first into the lake while the ice creature slowly headed for land.

"Ellis!" The father shouted. He dove into the water and swam towards his son as the unconscious boy began to sink. Grabbing onto him, the father swam him back to the canoe and lifted him into the boat before crawling in himself.

As the father held onto his son closely, he looked to the shore. The ice creatures were walking into the forest, as if with one mind.

Then, they vanished into the darkness.

* * *

The woman Kai had temporarily moved in with had proven surprisingly hospitable during his stay. She had fixed him up dinner, given him a cup of hot tea, and even given him a room to stay at for the time being. He'd have still preferred home, but it was still better than being a prisoner in the Snow Queen's castle.

"So Kai," The Finnish woman said after a period of time. "How did you find yourself in the Snow Queen's domain?"

Kai felt that he had nothing to lose by simply telling the woman the truth. After all, she'd earned it by this point.

"I was taken by the Snow Queen," He confessed, rubbing the back of his head. "I had one of the missing pieces to her magic mirror. She needs all the pieces to find her lost child, except the other piece belongs to a close friend of mine. I didn't want to put her in danger, and I ran away. Now the Snow Queen is looking for me."

The Finnish woman nodded understandingly. "The Queen is a poor soul indeed," She said, shaking her head.

Kai's head snapped up. "Poor soul?!" He spat out in shock. "Do you have any idea what she's done?! The people she's hurt?!"

"Yes, I know," The Finnish woman said, walking slowly to a chair in the living room to take a seat. "There's no excusing what she's done. But the Snow Queen is a very miserable thing. She's seen a lot of misfortune in her life."

It was then that Kai remembered the story his Grandmother had told him and the other children, about the young woman who would become the Snow Queen. His eyes flickered for a moment as he recalled her harsh treatment from the prince.

"Ma'am?" Kai whispered. "Who was the Snow Queen before she became the Snow Queen?"

The old woman turned to stare at Kai for a moment. She looked like she was about to give an answer, when suddenly, the two heard cries of terror erupt from outside the house.

"What the-" Kai said, standing up from his chair and rushing towards the window, wondering what was happening to cause the townspeople outside to fly into a panic.

The moment he reached the window and peered through it, he felt his heart skip a beat.

There, on the streets, he could see dozens of walking, frozen corpses, lumbering through the town. The townsfolk fled in terror as the ice creatures trudged down the street, knocking over carriages as they walked.

"What. . . what are those?" Kai whispered breathlessly.

"Get away from the window!" The old woman ordered him. Immediately, Kai obeyed and ducked out of view from the window before any of the ice creatures saw him.

As Kai hid below the window, he heard the creatures all speak, as if with one voice.

 _"Where. Is. Kai?"_

Kai froze. He recognized that voice as the Snow Queen's. But she couldn't be here, could she? It took him only a few moments to realize that whatever these creatures were, they were being controlled by the Snow Queen herself.

And they were looking for him.

* * *

Belle's eyes snapped open when she heard a wolf's howling in the distance. Pushing herself off the ground, Belle looked to the cave's exit. Even in the darkness, she could recognize the silhouette of the wolves in a distance.

A horrified gasp escaped Belle's lips, and she nudged the Beast to awaken him. "Beast!" She half-whispered, half-shouted.

The Beast snorted as he stirred awake. "Belle?" He groaned, his eyes groggy and unfocused. Slowly, he turned to the cave's entrance, and he noticed the wolves in the distance, wandering through the woods.

At this, the Beast snapped awake fully. He sprang to his feet, his claws extended and his teeth bared as he readied himself for a fight. In the distance, the wolves were slowly getting closer to the cave.

Then, for whatever reason, the wolves seemed to stop. Their ears pointed upwards and the wolves let out small whimpers, their heads whipping to their sides. Then, as Belle and the Beast watched on, the wolves turned and ran off in fear.

". . . What just happened?" Belle asked in confusion. Getting to her feet, she walked towards the cave's entrance, squinting her eyes.

"Belle, get back here," The Beast said, following close behind. "Those wolves could still be out there." However, Belle ignored him.

As Belle neared the cave's exit, a dark figure suddenly passed by the cave, startling her. She stumbled backwards into the Beast's arms, her eyes widened in shock.

As the two watched, several figures lumbered past the cave, seemingly giving no notice to the two within the cave. Confused, Belle and the Beast slowly stepped towards the cave's exit, where they could get a better look at the figures.

They had icy skin, pale blue eyes, and clawed fingers. It was also apparent that the creatures weren't truly living, but being controlled by some other force. They paid Belle and the Beast no heed and simply continued heading off deeper into the woods.

"What are they?" Belle asked, clutching the Beast's arm.

"I don't know, but I sense it isn't good news," The Beast whispered. "Get Wynter; we have to get out of here."

Quietly, Belle crept back into the cave and awoke Wynter. Then, she, the Beast, and Wynter slipped out of the cave and into the woods, careful not to be seen by the ice creatures.

* * *

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	26. Flee

_SpeechBubbleMe: Uh-huh...I got nothing else to say._

* * *

After Gerda and the Robber Girl had taken refuge in the old woman's cottage, she had offered the redheaded girl food and water, which she had gladly accepted. The Robber Girl, however, hadn't received such generosity; simply being allowed in the woman's cottage was considered generous enough.

The two girls had remained in the old woman's house for a few hours, but eventually, Gerda realized that it was time the two left. They still had to rescue Kai from the Snow Queen's grasp.

"Before we leave, ma'am," Gerda said to the old woman as they prepared to continue their journey. "Can you give us any directions to the Snow Queen's castle."

"The Snow Queen's castle?" The old woman asked, surprised. "Why on earth would you want to go there?"

"I have business to attend to with her," Gerda replied, extending no details. "Could you be of any service?"

The old woman stared at Gerda curiously, then said, "There's a village not too far away. My sister lives there, and she can guide you to the Snow Queen's castle. That's all I know."

Gerda's eyes lit up. "That's all I need!" She exclaimed happily. "Thank you, ma'am!"

Taking the Robber Girl by the hand, Gerda said, "Come on, let's go!" With that, the two girls ran off.

The old woman watched the two leave, and let out a deep sigh. Then, she turned and returned to her house, closing the door behind her.

* * *

The village Kai was hiding in had descended into chaos as the frozen, walking corpses controlled by the Snow Queen ravaged the area in search of Kai. Windows were smashed and doors were broken open as the corpses searched each home, checking every crevice for the Snow Queen's escaped prisoner.

Some villagers attempted to flee, but it soon became apparent that that was not an option; the corpses were not going to allow anyone to slip away until Kai was retrieved. Any villagers that attempted to escape were swiftly caught and returned to the village. Any attempts to resist were met with brutal reprisal.

"Leave my child alone!" One man called out as one of the corpses snatched his son off the sidewalk. He attempted to rush at the creature to save his child, but the corpse, without even turning to glance at the man, swatted him away with scarcely a flick of his wrist. The man landed on the ground with a thud, blood trickling down his forehead.

"Daddy!" The boy cried out, but the ice creature grabbed him by the chin and jerked him so that their eyes met. The ice creature stared into the boy's eyes for several moments, inspecting him closely. Then, the corpse released the boy, letting him drop onto the ground noiselessly, before moving on to continue searching.

In the Finnish woman's house, Kai watched the searching continue from the window at the top of the house. His eyes were filled with dread as he watched the villagers suffer from the Snow Queen's invasion. It hurt him even more to know that he was responsible for it.

"It's all my fault," He said to the old woman as she knelt down beside him. "They're here because of me. I'm the one they're after."

The Finnish woman stared into Kai's eyes softly. "Then what are you going to do?" She whispered to him.

Before Kai could answer, the two heard a crashing sound coming from downstairs.

Kai's heart dropped. _They're here._

 _"Where is Kai?!"_ Came the thundering voice of the Snow Queen from downstairs.

The Finnish woman immediately stood up and swiftly exited the room. Kai heard her descend down the stairs to meet with the Snow Queen's avatars. Concerned, he slowly began to follow her.

As Kai walked across the hallway, he could hear the old woman speaking with the corpses. "What brings you to my house?" She asked, feigning ignorance.

 _"Kai!"_ Came the Snow Queen's angry reply, causing Kai to freeze in his tracks. _"Where is he?!"_

"I don't know of any boy named Kai in this village," The Finnish woman replied calmly. "And I know everyone here. Perhaps you should check one of the villages across the forest."

 _"I know he's here!"_ The Snow Queen voice roared from the corpses' lips. _"He couldn't have gone farther."_

Kai nearly jumped when he heard the sound of furniture being smashed and tables thrown over. _"Where he is?!"_ The Snow Queen's voice thundered angrily from downstairs. _"Where are you hiding him?!"_

"Snow Queen, calm yourself!" The Finnish woman demanded, sounding surprisingly unafraid given the situation. "If you approach every situation with anger and violence, you'll never find what you truly desire!"

 _"Silence!"_ The corpse growled at the old woman.

Above the staircase, Kai secretly wondered how the old woman could speak to the Snow Queen in such a manner, and with no fear or hesitation. Did she not realize that the Snow Queen could kill her in an instant?

Curiosity and concern got the better of him, and Kai approached the staircase and looked over the railing to observe what was happening downstairs. Immediately, he saw several corpses searching the living room, while the old woman futilely tried to stop them.

Suddenly, Kai heard a voice shout, _"There you are!"_

His eyes widening in shock, Kai whipped his head around to see one of the corpses, that of a young woman, staring at him from the bottom of the staircase. Immediately, the other corpses turned to stare at Kai as well.

The young boy let out a horrified gasp. He had been caught.

Before Kai could even move, one of the corpses swung out its arm and smashed through the staircase with ease, shattering the railing. The force of the blow caused Kai to loose his footing on the top of the railing. With a shout, he dropped from the railing and landed on the ground with a thud.

Groaning in pain, Kai started to get up, only to see several shadows looming over him. Looking up, he saw the corpses all staring down at him with the enraged eyes of the Snow Queen.

 _"You're coming with me,"_ The corpses all whispered in unison. As they spoke, they extended their arms towards Kai to grab him.

Suddenly, the old Finnish woman shoved through the corpses and grabbed what appeared to be the leader by the wrist. "Stop this, right now!" The old woman commanded.

The corpse barely paid the old woman any mind. _"Do not interfere, lest you suffer my wrath, old woman!"_ The corpse threatened. It shook the old woman off and turned back to Kai.

As the corpse once again reached for Kai, the old woman grabbed his hand once more.

Then, she spoke.

"I told you to stop, _Agathe_!"

Suddenly, all of the corpses froze. Kai saw the way the corpses' lifeless eyes widened in utter shock. Slowly, in unison, their heads twisted around to stare at the old Finnish woman, an expression of awe on their faces.

For a few moments, Kai simply lay on the ground, breathing heavily. The corpses did nothing; they simply stared at the old woman, their eyes wide and their mouths agape.

Slowly, the Finnish woman glanced down at Kai. "Go, now," She whispered.

Without sparing a second thought, Kai immediately squeezed through the corpses and burst towards the open door to escape. Outside, the other corpses were continuing to scour the village.

Running out into the open, Kai shouted out, "Hey, over here! Here I am! Leave these villagers alone!"

The other corpses turned towards Kai. Immediately, they began advancing towards him, arms outstretched.

Kai let a gasp escape his lips.

Then, he turned and ran.

* * *

 _Read and review._


	27. Revelation

_SpeechBubbleMe: Great._

 _Antha1: Yeah, sure._

 _Guest: Ugh..._

* * *

Belle, the Beast and Wynter had been silently wandering through the forest ever since they had left their cave. Fortunately for them, the wolves appeared to have totally vanished ever since the ice creatures had shown up. Occasionally, they would spot an ice creature wandering in the forest, but the frozen corpses paid them no mind.

To pass the time, the Beast decided to start up a conversation. "So Belle, what's your village like back in Grimm?" He asked.

"Oh, it's. . . fine," Belle said, shrugging. "Well, not exactly. We had a really dreadful ruler for the past several years. It made living in Grimm a living Hell. Fortunately, those times are over."

"Huh," The Beast said, curious. "What happened?"

"It involved a young maiden and a wolf," Belle replied. "It's a really long story; you should've been there. When this is all over, maybe I'll fill you in on the rest."

"I'd rather like that," The Beast said, actually smiling. "It seems like an interesting story."

Belle nodded and smiled. She ducked under a low-hanging tree branch as they continued to tread through the snow.

"How is your family?" The Beast randomly asked.

"My father is fine," Belle replied. "A little overprotective at times, but fine. And you already know my little sister, Gerda."

The Beast's eyebrows bristled in confusion. "What about your mother?"

Belle paused for a moment. "My mother?" She asked, her eyes forlorn. "She. . . died when I was very young. I never did know her."

The Beast's face fell at the news. "I'm sorry I asked," He apologized quickly, casting his eyes to the ground.

Belle let out a sigh and let her eyes wander. As she did, she noticed a group of ice creatures in the distance, heading off through the forest. Even from a distance away, Belle noticed that these ice creatures seemed more focused, as if they were actively marching towards a certain location.

"Beast," She whispered, tugging on his arm. When the Beast turned to face her, she pointed towards the ice creatures and said, "They seem to be looking for something. Perhaps we should see what it is."

The Beast stared off towards the ice creatures in the distance. They seemed to be unaware of their presence, but that didn't make him any less cautious.

"Alright," The Beast replied. "But let's keep our distance. Those things are no doubt the work of the Snow Queen, which can only mean bad news."

With that, the group set off after the ice creatures, careful to remain out of sight.

* * *

"We're getting close," The Robber Girl said to Gerda as she led the redheaded girl through the forest. "If my calculations are correct, we should be reaching a village close by. And not far away is the Snow Queen's castle."

"Yes!" Gerda shouted joyfully. "Kai, we're almost there!"

The Robber Girl abruptly stopped walking and turned to face Gerda, much to the redhead's confusion.

"Why are we stopping?" Gerda asked.

"Gerda," The Robber Girl said, rubbing her knuckles together. "You've really went through a lot for that boy, leaving your village, challenging the Snow Queen's will. Why go through all of that for one boy?"

Gerda paused for a few moments, thinking before responding.

"Because I know that he'd do the same for me," She said confidently.

The Robber Girl raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" She asked, folding her arms. "How many people would really go through such a long journey for one person?"

Gerda shrugged. "I'm not sure," She admitted. "But Kai's my friend, and I know that he loves me as much as I love him. Couldn't you understand that?"

The Robber Girl stared at Gerda, a blank look on her face. It was then that Gerda remembered that the Robber Girl probably didn't have many friends.

"Um, excuse me for asking, Robber Girl," Gerda said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "But why are you a thief? Are the ruffians your parents?"

"Well, not exactly," The Robber Girl said uncomfortably, scratching the back of her head. "You see-"

Suddenly, the Robber Girl cast her eyes to look above Gerda, and the redhead noticed the other girl's eyes suddenly widen in utter horror.

Before Gerda could react, the Robber Girl shouted, "Gerda, watch out!" Then, she tackled Gerda to the side, just in time to avoid a large, clawed hand from snatching Gerda up.

The two girls collapsed onto the ground in a heap. Gerda recovered first, and as she looked up, she let out a horrified gasp as she saw several ice creatures standing above them, lumbering towards them slowly, clawed hands outstretched.

"What are those?!" Gerda shouted in terror as she scrambled to get to her feet before the ice creatures reached them.

"They must have been summoned by the Snow Queen!" The Robber Girl guessed as she joined Gerda. She took Gerda's hand in her own and shielded her as the ice creatures advanced towards them.

"Stay back!" The Robber Girl threatened the ice creatures. When they didn't obey, she picked up a tree branch and wielded it as a bat, swinging it at the advancing corpses.

"I said stay back!" She warned, more threatening this time. She finally struck one of the ice creatures with the branch, only for the branch to snap in two upon impact.

The Robber Girl gasped in horror as she saw her only weapon be disabled. Before she could react, one of the ice creatures grabbed the Robber Girl and lifted her into the air. The other ice creatures began to converge upon her, surrounding her.

"Stop!" Gerda cried out, ramming into the ice creature holding the Robber Girl. However, she was effortlessly knocked to the ground.

Getting to her knees, Gerda looked around for anything she could use as a weapon, anything that could help her save the Robber Girl. However, there was nothing in sight.

Then, almost at random, she remembered one thing she did have. _Her gem._

She didn't know how it would help her in this situation, but for some reason, her mind told her to use it. So, with little options left, she scooped into her pocket, grabbed the gem, and held it out into the air.

"Hey!" She shouted at the ice creatures as she stretched the gem out towards them.

It's brightness caused the ice creatures to turn their gaze away from the Robber Girl and towards the shining object, and their lifeless eyes widened in shock. Before they could move, there was a bright flash of light, and immediately, the ice creatures froze up and collapsed onto the ground.

The Robber Girl, released from her captor's grip, landed on the snowy floor softly. Coughing violently, she looked up towards Gerda, who was holding the gem in the palm of her hand. The dark-haired girl's eyes widened in shock as her eyes landed upon the gem.

"No way. . ." She whispered in awe.

Gerda was breathing heavily, her arm still outstretched. Her eyes were wide as she pondered how her gem had done. . . whatever it was that it had done. She hadn't even heard the Robber Girl speak.

"Gerda," The Robber Girl whispered as she stood up, her eyes glued to the shining gem. "Gerda. . ."

The redhead finally snapped out of her thoughts and looked towards the Robber Girl. "Y-Yes?" She asked quickly.

"You. . ." The Robber Girl said, at a loss for words. "You have it?" She pointed at the gem in Gerda's hand.

Gerda glanced down towards the gem. "Well, yeah," She said with a shrug. "This was my guide before I met you. I knew it was magical, but even I didn't know it could do _that_. . ."

"Gerda!" The Robber Girl suddenly shouted, grabbing Gerda's shoulders. "Do you realize what you have?"

"What are you talking about?" Gerda asked, confused. "I mean, yeah, it's pretty, but-"

"Oh Gerda," The Robber Girl said, her eyes shining brightly. "You have no idea. . ."

"What do you mean?" Gerda questioned as she held up the gem. "What do you know about this?"

The Robber Girl stared at Gerda silently. Without speaking, she slowly delved into her own pocket and pulled out a small object in her fist, holding it out towards Gerda. Slowly, she unfurled her fist to reveal the object.

When Gerda saw it, she let out a gasp of shock.

It was the other piece of the Snow Queen's mirror.

* * *

 _Read and review._


	28. Reunited

_SpeechBubbleMe: Yeah..._

* * *

"No way!" Gerda shouted in disbelief when she saw the shard in the Robber Girl's hand. It was slightly smaller than her own gem, but there was no doubt they were of the same material.

The Robber Girl closed her fingers around the mirror shard. "To think it was right under my nose the whole time," She said, clearly in as much shock as Gerda was.

"W-What do you mean?" Gerda asked, confused.

The Robber Girl raised an eyebrow. "Do you not know what that is?" She asked, pointing to the gem in Gerda's hand. "You must know. Why else would you have been keeping it hidden from me?"

"Well, you are a robber," Gerda pointed out. "I kind of figured that if you saw something as shiny as my gem, you'd-"

"Steal it?" The Robber Girl interrupted, while simultaneously finishing Gerda's sentence. Surprisingly, she didn't seem all that offended.

"Well, you may have a point there," The Robber Girl said with a shrug. "But not because it's shiny. That gem is worth much more than you think, Gerda."

"What do you mean?" Gerda asked once more, still confused. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The Robber Girl rolled her eyes. "Give it to me," She said, holding out her other hand.

Gerda instinctively reeled her hand back, unwilling to give away her precious gem. However, the Robber Girl simply stared hardly at her, and Gerda relented and extended her hand to her. The Robber Girl quickly swiped the gem out of Gerda's hand.

For a moment, Gerda thought the Robber Girl would simply run off now that she had her gem. Instead, the Robber Girl held both gems in her hand, and slowly, carefully, she connected them with each other.

Immediately, a flash of light erupted from the connected gems, blinding both Gerda and the Robber Girl.

* * *

Ever since he had fled the village, Kai had been rushing through the forest in no clear direction. Luckily, he had managed to evade the Snow Queen's golems; however, he had no idea where he was going.

As he continued to run through the woods, he noticed a large flash of light shine above the trees in the distance. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he recognized the glow.

He had seen it before. Not of the same magnitude, but he had seen it before.

It was the same glow that had emitted when he and Gerda had connected their gems with one another.

Which could only mean one thing.

"Gerda!" Kai shouted out hopefully. As the flash died down, Kai immediately bolted in the direction of the light, his heart beating faster than it ever had before.

* * *

Ever since she had summoned the dead from the ground to locate Kai in the vast forest, the Snow Queen had spent hours exerting her powers to keep the golems intact. Her mind flowed through all of them, seeing through her own, but she had diverted most of her attention to the golems who had found Kai in the village, leaving many of the other golems wandering aimlessly.

The Snow Queen had felt a slight disturbance when she sensed several of her golems fall lifeless, but had ignored it in favor of pursuing Kai. She had no idea that Gerda's gem was the cause of their destruction.

However, the Snow Queen snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed her mirror sparkling brightly. Turning her head to face the mirror, her eyes widened when she saw Gerda and the Robber Girl begin to take shape in the center of the mirror.

In the Robber Girl's hands, she held the two final pieces of her mirror.

The Snow Queen turned to stare at the mirror, her mouth hanging open in awe. Then, her lips curled into a grin, and her eyes began to glow sharply.

 _"I knew you'd be of use to me,"_ She whispered as she stared at the Robber Girl's reflection in the mirror.

Then, with a whirl of her arms, the Snow Queen vanished into mist.

* * *

Gerda lowered her arm from her eyes as the flash of light vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The Robber Girl continued to hold the two gems together, staring down at them, and breathing heavily.

"Whoa. . ." Gerda whispered, her eyes wide. "How did you-"

"This belongs to the Snow Queen," The Robber Girl said, holding out the two gems.

"What?" Gerda asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean? That gem belongs to me."

"You don't understand," The Robber Girl said. "This gem-"

"Gerda!"

Gerda and the Robber Girl immediately fell silent as they heard a voice call out to them in the distance. They whipped their heads in the direction of the voice, cupping their hands behind their ears, wondering if they had heard correctly.

"I think I recognize that voice. . ." Gerda said as she tried to listen for the voice again.

"Gerda!" The voice call out once more, confirming that the two girls weren't just hearing things. Now, they could hear footsteps, facing towards that quickly. Eventually, a dark silhouette began to appear in the darkness of the words, coming closer by the second.

"Who is that?" The Robber Girl asked, scratching her head in confusion.

"Is that. . ." Gerda whispered, and her eyes widened as she realized who it was.

"Oh my gosh!" She shouted out in a mixture of shock and joy, and immediately, she was bolting towards the dark shape, which finally escaped the darkness, allowing them to see who it was.

It was Kai.

"Gerda!" Kai shouted with joy, his arms extended towards his friend.

"Kai!" Gerda shouted right back at him. The two practically collided with each other, landing on the ground as they hugged each other tightly, their faces pressed closely against one another.

The two hugged each other for several minutes, letting the sensation of feeling each other's warm embrace wash over them. But finally, they slipped out of each other's grasps, still shocked to the core.

"Kai?" Gerda said, out of breath. "How can it be? How are you-"

"I escaped," Kai replied to her, struggling to catch his breath. "I've been out in the woods, trying to escape the Snow Queen's ruffians and. . . whatever those ice creatures were. But the biggest shock was finding you all the way out here!"

"It shouldn't be," Gerda replied, straightening up. "You should've known I'd come looking for you."

"But to get this far," Kai said in disbelief. "How did you manage?"

"I had help," Gerda said, tilting her head over to the Robber Girl, who was standing a small distance away. It was then that Kai actually noticed the other girl standing there.

"Who is she?" Kai asked, raising his eyebrow.

"A thief," Gerda answered. "A ruffian, a brute. . . and a friend." She smiled towards the Robber Girl, who immediately looked away, as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Robber Girl, get over here," Gerda called out, beckoning the dark-haired girl to come closer.

After a moments hesitation, the Robber Girl strode up to the two. She stared at Gerda, then at Kai.

"This is the boy you've been looking for?" The Robber Girl asked, raising an eyebrow. "Huh. I expected more."

Kai furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance, but Gerda gestured to him with her hands. "Don't worry, she's always like that," She said.

"She helped you get here?" Kai asked, eyeing the dark-haired girl.

Gerda nodded. "Yeah," She said happily. "If it wasn't for her, I'd have never found you!"

 _"Nor would I!"_

Immediately, the three children froze up in terror as they heard the sinister voice call out to them from the distance. Fearfully, the three turned their heads in the direction of the voice, and saw a tall figure standing on top of a small hillside, staring down at them with cold, winter eyes.

There, standing at the top of the hill, was the Snow Queen.

* * *

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	29. Stolen Again

_Guest: Why would I answer that?_

* * *

Gerda, Kai and the Robber Girl stared up at the tall, elegant form of the Snow Queen as she loomed over them from the top of the hillside. Fear froze them in place, and all the three children could do was huddle close to each other for comfort.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," The Snow Queen whispered in a mocking tone. "A trio of disobedient young children in way over their heads." As she spoke, several of the Queen's ruffians began to appear out of the darkness, surrounding the children and cutting off all their exit points. The black wolf himself strode up and stood next to the Queen, staring down at the children along with her.

 _No,_ Gerda thought to herself. _This can't be. I've just found my best friend; he can't be taken away from me so soon._

The Snow Queen stepped off the hillside and floated softly to the ground before the children. The three instinctively backed away, even though they had no hope of escaping.

The Snow Queen slowly began to walk towards the three children, her eyes fixed on one of them in particular. However, to both Gerda and Kai's surprise, she wasn't focusing on Kai; she was staring at the Robber Girl.

"Aisley," The Snow Queen cooed softly as she approached the trembling Robber Girl. Gerda's eyes immediately widened as she heard the Robber Girl's true name be spoken.

The Robber Girl continued to quake in fear, but stilled when the Snow Queen laid a cold hand upon her head. "My Aisley," The Snow Queen whispered, a cold grin on her face. "I knew you would be of use to me."

Gerda was confused. "W-What do you mean?" She asked, finding the will to speak.

The Snow Queen turned to stare at Gerda, seeming to acknowledge her for the firs time since she'd arrived. "She led me to _this_ ," She said, and held up Gerda's gem for the redhead to see.

Gerda's eyes widened. "What?" She whispered, shocked to the core. She turned to stare at the Robber Girl, a confused look in her eyes.

"Explain, Aisley," The Snow Queen commanded the Robber Girl. The dark-haired girl stared up at her monarch, hesitating for a few moments, then turned to stare at Gerda, a guilty look in her eyes.

"Some time ago, I was taken by the Snow Queen," The Robber Girl explained to Gerda. "She thought that maybe I was her lost child. I was a prisoner in her castle for months, but eventually, she came to the conclusion that I wasn't her daughter. Instead of simply releasing me, however, she decided to send me back to my ruffian parents with this." As she spoke, she held up the mirror shard.

"But what's so important about it?" Gerda asked.

"They're shards from the Queen's mirror, Gerda!" The Robber Girl spat. "The Snow Queen has spent years searching for every shard to repair her magic mirror, and you had the last piece she was looking for!"

Gerda's eyes widened in shock and horror at the realization. Suddenly, she realized why the Snow Queen had attacked Grimm and taken Kai; it was because of her gem.

So that meant Kai had been put in danger because of _her._

"I was given the shard in case I met someone else who held the final piece of her mirror," The Robber Girl went on. "When the two shards are connected, it allows the Snow Queen to track them down."

"So when me and Gerda connected are gems. . ." Kai whispered, and he, too, realized why the Snow Queen had taken him. His eyes went wide for a moment, then he simply hung his head low.

"And now that I have the last piece of the mirror, I'll finally be able to find what belongs to me," The Snow Queen said as she held Gerda's gem in her hands. "After all these years, I'll finally know who my lost child is."

"Then take them, then!" Gerda exclaimed towards to the Queen. "Take my gem! Complete your magic mirror! But just let me and Kai return safely to our families!" She hoped that now that the Queen had what she wanted, she would be merciful.

"You can have Kai back. . ." The Snow Queen whispered as she caressed the gem. ". . . After I've completed my mirror."

 _"What?!"_ Gerda cried out in shock and anger. She nearly rushed towards the Snow Queen, but the Robber Girl restrained her.

"You can't do this!" Gerda shouted in rage, struggling in the Robber Girl's grip. "Kai isn't your son! Let him go!"

"Well we'll know the truth when I've fixed my mirror," The Snow Queen snidely replied. "Until then, Kai will stay with me. And if he _is_ my son, then I'm afraid you'll never see your friend again."

"Enough, Snow Queen!" Kai shouted, and he rushed forward and gave the Snow Queen a slight shove, causing her to drop her gem. Immediately, one of the wolves rushed forward and rammed into Kai, knocking the boy to the ground roughly.

"Kai!" Gerda shouted, and ripped herself out of the Robber Girl's grip. She rushed to Kai's side and softly cradled him in her arms. However, Gerda then felt something cold bite into the back of her neck, and she was suddenly ripped into the air by the Snow Queen's magic. She was suspended in midair, kicking and trashing to no use.

"Gerda!" Kai cried out. As he watched, the Snow Queen clenched her fist, and Gerda began violently coughing as she felt the air begin to get ripped from her lungs. Surrounding them, the ruffians backed away in horror. Meanwhile the black wolf watched on in amusement.

"Snow Queen, stop!" The Robber Girl shouted, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

The Snow Queen turned to face Kai, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "You _will_ come with me, or I will crush her neck!" She threatened harshly. As she spoke, Gerda coughing intensified, and her face started to go red.

Kai eyes darted from Gerda to the Snow Queen. As he stared at the two, his eyes slowly widened in shock.

"What will it be, Kai?" The Snow Queen whispered, not noticing the change in Kai's expression. By now, Gerda's struggling had ceased, and her body started to go limp.

"Okay!" Kai blurted out. "I will come with you."

Immediately, Gerda was dropped to the ground. She began to cough and inhale rigorously as she felt the pressure on her throat lessen.

Immediately, Kai rushed towards Gerda, picking up her gem in the process. He placed one hand under her head and slowly pulled the girl up so she was sitting. Gerda's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him, half-conscious.

"Kai. . ." She whispered weakly.

"I'm sorry, Gerda," Kai whispered as she cradled her tenderly. "I'm going to be gone for a while."

"Kai, you can't," Gerda groaned. Speaking was painful for her.

"I must," Kai replied. "Don't worry, I'll be free soon. Trust me."

With that, he gently laid her down on the snow. Then, unseen by anyone else, he placed something in Gerda's pocket.

Standing up, Kai approached the Snow Queen. "Are you ready to come, Kai?" She asked, extending her hand forward.

Kai paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes," He said, and handed Gerda's gem over to the Snow Queen. She quickly took it into her hand, along with the Robber Girl's shard.

With a wave of her arm, a flurry of snow surrounded her, Kai and the Robber Girl, until they were fully concealed in snow. The snow swirled around the three until they utterly vanished from view.

Lying on the snowy bed, too weak to move, Gerda could only watch as her best friend was taken from her once more.

 _"No. . ."_ She whispered weakly.

Then, her eyes closed, and Gerda drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

 _Read and review._


	30. One Missing Piece

_SpeechBubbleMe: You'll find out soon enough._

 _Guest: Why is Darth Vader called Darth Vader when his name is Anakin Skywalker?_

 _Antha1: Refer to the first reply._

* * *

Belle, the Beast, and Wynter had been treading through the forest, careful to remain hidden out of sight from the ice wights. However, they were perplexed when the ice wights all collapsed for no apparent reason. Despite this, they had continued on regardless.

"We've been walking for hours," The Beast complained. "At this rate, I'd have preferred if we ran into the Queen's men; at least then, we'd have some idea where we are!"

"Be silent," Belle replied. "Being on the move is better than staying in one place all the time."

Suddenly, Wynter began braying wildly. "Wynter, what is it?" The Beast asked, concerned, placing his paw on the reindeer's head to calm him. The reindeer snorted and gestured his head towards the left.

"I think he sees something," Belle said. She stared off in the direction Wynter was gesturing towards. Squinting her eyes, she saw a small figure lying in the snow. After a few seconds, her eyes widened as she realized what the figure was.

"Gerda!" She cried out.

Immediately, she dashed through the snow towards her sister, nearly tripping on her own feet. She collapsed on her knees at Gerda's side, scrambling to scoop the young redhead off the cold ground and into her arms.

"Oh, Gerda," She whispered, cradling her sister in her arms. She softly kissed Gerda on the forehead and held her tight.

The Beast and Wynter arrived at Belle's side. "Is she alright?" The Beast asked.

"She's unconscious, but she's alive," Belle said, staring at Gerda's pale face. "We got to get her someplace warm."

"But we don't even know where _we_ are," The Beast reminded her. "How can we possibly hope to-"

He was cut off when the three noticed something glowing in Gerda's pocket, causing them to shield their eyes. When the effect wore off, Belle reached into Gerda's pocket and pulled out the object.

When she saw what it was, Belle grinned.

"Looks like we've just found the answer to your question," She said to the Beast.

* * *

Kai had never seen the Snow Queen look so happy. Her blue eyes were a brighter shade than usual, her skin looked less icy, and she had a joyous expression that he didn't know she was capable of.

It almost made him pity her.

The moment they had returned to the castle, the Snow Queen had set off at a fast pace towards her throne room, the mirror shards in her hands. Kai and the Robber Girl were pressed by her guards to follow suite; they weren't to miss this joyous occasion.

"Finally, after all these years," The Snow Queen said to herself. "It's been so long, but this makes the wait worth it. I'll finally have what is mine."

As they reached the Queen's throne room, Kai and the Robber Girl were nearly shoved to the ground by the Queen's guards. The Snow Queen took no notice of it, and instead strode towards her mirror, her eyes fixated on the single missing piece on the surface of it.

"I think I feel something resembling happiness," The Snow Queen said to herself as she held out the shards to the mirror. "I've almost forgotten what that felt like."

Just as she was about to add the shards to the mirror, Kai got to his knees and called out, "Wait, Snow Queen!"

The Snow Queen paused for just a moment and turned towards Kai. "Yes, my boy?" She asked, sounding somewhat annoyed at being interrupted.

"What if your child is dead?" Kai asked her. "What if your child didn't survive all those years ago, when the winds took her away?"

The Snow Queen froze up, and cast her eyes to the frozen ground, as if thinking things over in her head. After a few moments, she replied, "Then at least I'll finally have closure."

A look of sorrow crossed over Kai's face, and he let out a deep sigh.

The Snow Queen turned away from Kai and faced the magic mirror. She took a deep breath, and pressed the mirror shards into the magic mirror. Immediately, the shards morphed themselves into the mirror, becoming one with it.

A grin appeared on the Snow Queen's face. "Magic mirror on the wall, you are fixed," She whispered. "Now, grant me my one wish: show me my missing child!"

Immediately, everyone went silent. Everyone present fixated their eyes on the mirror, waiting in anticipation to see the image that would appear on the surface of the reflection.

A few seconds passed. A minute.

Nothing happened. The mirror remained empty.

The Snow Queen tapped her foot against the ground impatiently as she waited for the image the mirror would conjure. However, as the moments passed, she found she couldn't wait much longer.

"Well?" She said, her teeth gritted. "What are you waiting for? Show me!"

The guards and the Robber Girl stared at the mirror in confusion, wondering what was going on. Kai, on the other hand, merely cast his eyes to the ground in shame, feeling almost remorseful.

"What's going on?!" The Snow Queen cried, her happiness evaporating and being replaced with frustrated anger. "Why won't you show me?!" As she shouted, ice spikes began to sprout from the ground and walls, causing the guards and the Robber Girl to recoil in fear.

It was then that one of the guards noticed something. "My Queen," He said.

"What?!" The Snow Queen roared, whipping her head towards the guards, her eyes ablaze.

The guard trembled for a moment, but then raised his finger and pointed towards the center of the mirror, where the Snow Queen had added the shards. The Snow Queen turned to stare in the direction he was pointing, and her eyes widened in shock.

There, in the center of the mirror, so small she could hardly see it, remained a single, missing piece.

 _"What?!"_ The Snow Queen roared in confusion. "How can this be? I had every piece! I-"

Suddenly, she froze in her tracks. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. Slowly, she turned towards Kai, who remained on his knees, staring at the ground. Immediately, all eyes turned towards him.

 _"You. . ."_ She sneered, pointing at Kai, who refused to face her. "What did you do?"

Kai continued to stare at the ground, breathing heavily. "I-I'm sorry. . ." He stammered out. Next to him, the Robber Girl stared at him, confused.

The Snow Queen stormed towards Kai and grabbed his wrist, hoisting him to his feet. "You broke the shard in two, didn't you!" She accused him, squeezing his wrist. "Before we returned to the castle! You broke it in two while I wasn't looking and only gave me one piece, discarding the other!"

"I don't deny it," Kai replied, despite his obvious fear. Nearby, the Robber Girl continued to stare at him, at a loss for words.

The Snow Queen began to shake Kai violently. "Why did you do it?!" She shouted at him. As she shook him, ice began to creep onto Kai's wrist, causing him to groan in pain.

Suddenly, the Robber Girl grabbed the Snow Queen's wrist. "S-Stop," She stammered. This seemed to distract the Snow Queen, as her grip on Kai lessened, and she turned to face the girl.

The Robber Girl gulped as the Snow Queen locked eyes with her. Immediately, she let go of the Snow Queen's wrist and looked down in shame. Nearby, the guards backed away, not wanting to risk being the focus of the Queen's anger.

After a few moments, the Snow Queen seemed to calm down. Turning to Kai, she simply asked, "Why did you do it?"

Kai took a few moments to respond, struggling to catch his breath. But finally, he straightened up, locked eyes with the Snow Queen, and retorted, "Why couldn't _you_ see what was right in front of you?"

The Snow Queen furrowed her eyes, confused at the question. After a few moments, she growled and turned away from Kai. "Lock him up in his room until I decide what to do with him," She ordered her guards.

The guards grabbed Kai and began to haul him off out of the throne room. The boy didn't even try to struggle, simply going limp in the guards' powerful grip.

As he was dragged off, Kai raised his head towards the Robber Girl.

For a moment, their eyes locked.

In that moment, the Robber Girl saw a look of insurmountable sadness in Kai's eyes.

That look stayed with the Robber Girl, long after Kai had vanished from sight.

* * *

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	31. Secrets

_SpeechBubbleMe: To be honest, it's simply because I forgot Aisley's name and was too lazy to re-read the chapters._

 _Antha1: Huh?_

* * *

Upon finding Gerda, navigating through the forest had proven a much simpler task for the small group. With Gerda's gem to act as their guide, they had successfully found their way out of the forest and into the nearby village.

"Keep her hood on," Belle whispered to the Beast as they entered the village. The Beast obeyed, making sure his hood covered his face. He kept his head low as they walked down the street, avoiding eye contact with nearby passerby's.

Belle couldn't help but notice that the village seemed to be in a state of disarray, as if it had just recovered from a recent attack. She spoke nothing of it, but she had a feeling the Snow Queen's wights had been responsible.

Her attention was diverted to the gem as she saw it flashing brightly. It seemed to be pointing them in a particular direction. Confused, Belle turned the group to follow the gem's lead.

The group soon reached a small house in the middle of the village, where the gem flashed brightly. Belle was mystified; why would the gem lead them to this house in particular, of all places.

The Beast appeared to share Belle's thoughts, as he asked, "Why did the gem bring us here?"

"Maybe this house contains something we need," Belle suggested. She knew it would be of no use simply standing around, so she walked up towards the house. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door, and prayed she wasn't wasting her time.

After a few moments of silence, the door creaked open, and a face appeared at the entrance.

It was the Finnish woman.

"Hello, ma'am," Belle said to the elderly woman. "We're travelers from a faraway kingdom, and we need a place to stay for the moment. Can you provide us with a home?"

"My, I've been housing in quite a few travelers recently," The Finnish woman mused to herself. "Come in."

Belle smiled brightly. As she did, the gem in her hand flashed for a split-second, causing the Finnish woman to look down and notice the bright object. Her eyes widened in shock and she let out a gasp. Quickly, Belle clenched her hand around the gem and hid it behind her back, but it was too late.

"You have it," The Finnish woman whispered in shock.

"Have what?" Belle asked, pretending to be unaware of what the elderly woman was referring to.

Quickly, the Finnish woman ushered the group inside. "Get in, quickly, before anyone sees you," She whispered to them. Confused, the group nevertheless obeyed and rushed inside. Once they were in, the Finnish woman shut the door.

"What's going on?" Belle asked as she took an unconscious Gerda and set her gently on the couch.

The Finnish woman glanced out the window for a moment, as if to confirm that nobody was eavesdropping on them. Then, she turned to face Belle.

"The gem led you here for a reason," The Finnish woman said. "You have what _she_ desires."

* * *

Kai had been imprisoned in his ice cellar ever since the Snow Queen had commanded him to be taken away. He hadn't even put up a fight; he merely sat in middle of the cell, refusing to speak or move, almost as if he were in a catatonic state. The only movement from him were a few cold tears that dripped from his cheeks and onto the icy ground.

Kai didn't even react when the door to the ice cellar opened up. Behind him, the Robber Girl slowly walked inside and joined him in his cell.

For a few moments, she didn't say anything. She merely stared at him as he faced away from her, his eyes on the wall. She knew he was aware of her presence, though.

"Why did you do it?" She finally asked after a period of silence.

Kai initially didn't respond. After a few moments, he sniffed and said, "I. . . I had to."

"What do you mean you 'had to'?" Aisley asked, perplexed.

"I had no choice," Kai replied bluntly, still staring at the wall.

"You could've been free, Kai," Aisley said to him. "The Snow Queen would've finally repaired her mirror, and she'd have known for certain who her lost child was. This all could've been fixed right now, and you'd be on your way home."

"You think I don't know that?" Kai asked, turning to face Aisley with tear-streaked eyes. "You think I didn't want to hand over that remaining piece to the Snow Queen so this could all be over?"

"I don't understand," Aisley said.

Kai didn't respond. He simply turned away from Aisley and continued to hang his head low.

Aisley walked forward and took a seat next to Kai. "You know, I was in your shoes at one point," She confided with him. "Not too long ago I, too, was in the Snow Queen's clutches, with her convinced that _I_ was her missing child. During that time, there was nothing I wished for more than to convince her that I was not her daughter. If I was in your place right now, I'd have given that shard to her, and proved that I was not her offspring."

Kai let out a deep sigh, but once more, he did not respond.

Aisley furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you hiding something?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kai replied.

Aisley paused to think, then asked, "Kai. . . _are_ you the Snow Queen's lost child?"

Kai took a deep breath, and then said, "No. . . but I'd have preferred it if I were."

Aisley didn't respond. She merely contemplated Kai's words, trying to figure out what he meant. Alas, she could find no answer.

Eventually, Aisley stood up, and slowly walked out of the cell. She stopped to look back at Kai for only a moment, before shutting the door behind her, leaving Kai alone in the darkness.

* * *

 _Read and review._


	32. A Gift

_SpeechBubbleMe: I'm not sure on my plans after this one. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Time will decide that._

 _Antha1: Uh-huh._

* * *

When Gerda awoke, she was lying on top of a soft cushion, a blanket draped over her body.

For a few moments, her mind was a whirlwind as she struggled to piece together all that had led up to her current situation. When finally her mind became focused, her eyes widened in horror as she remembered what had happened before she let the darkness consume her.

"Kai!" She shouted, springing upwards. "Where are you, Kai?!"

She then saw Belle, the Beast, and the Finnish woman, sitting nearby. "Ah, you're awake," The elderly woman said, knitting a coat. "I must say, you're a heavy sleeper."

"Gerda," Belle said, walking over to her younger sister and enveloping her in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. Had we reached you a bit later, you might not have made it."

"That's not important right now," Gerda said, even as she struggled to keep from collapsing back on the couch. "We need to go find Kai. I found him in the forest!"

Belle's eyes widened in shock. "You did?!" She shouted. "What happened?"

"He escaped the Snow Queen," Gerda said, breathing heavily. "I met him while I was with the Robber Girl. But the Snow Queen found us and. . . and. . . oh Belle, it's all my fault!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Belle immediately knelt over her sister, placing her warm hands on her shoulders. "Oh Gerda, don't blame yourself. You're just a girl; you couldn't have done anything."

"But it is!" Gerda spat, continuing to cry. "Because. . . I'm the reason the Snow Queen took Kai!"

"What?" The Beast said, springing to his feet in shock. "What do you mean?"

"My gem," Gerda said, staring at the floor in shame. "It was a piece of the Snow Queen's mirror. When I gave part of it to Kai, the Snow Queen sensed it somehow. She went to Grimm and took him away because he had part of her mirror, and he only had it because _I_ gave it to him!"

Belle and the Beast were silent. Gerda simply continued to sob wretchedly.

"She should've taken me!" She moaned in despair. "I was the one with her shard! Why can't she just leave Kai alone!"

The Beast walked up to her. "Um, forgive me as being insensitive," He said to her. "But in that case, why didn't you simply give her the shard back?"

"I did!" Gerda snapped, turning to glare at the Beast. "But she took Kai with her anyways! At least now that she has the shard back, she can fix her stupid mirror, and she'll know Kai isn't her son!"

Belle rose an eyebrow. "But Gerda," She said. "We found _this_ on you."

And with that, she showed Gerda the remaining shard.

Gerda's eyes widened in shock. "But how," She said, her eyes focused on the glowing gem. "Kai-"

Immediately, she let out a gasp. "Kai must have broken the gem in two and given part of it to me!" She deciphered quickly. "When he held me in his arms. So that the Snow Queen couldn't fix her mirror!"

"Why would he do that?" The Beast asked, flabbergasted.

"I don't know!" Gerda exclaimed. "But now that we have this shard, we'll be able to locate the Snow Queen's castle!" With that, she sprung out of the bed and onto her feet.

"Come on, let's go!" She urged the others. "Kai needs us!"

"Wait, child," The Finnish woman suddenly said, causing Gerda to stop in her tracks.

"What is it?" She asked, annoyed at her journey being delayed once more.

"Gerda, your friend was here," The Finnish woman told her. "When Kai escaped, he made his way to my house. He stayed with me before he was forced to flee again."

"Okay," Gerda said. "So what?"

"Gerda, you need to know that the Snow Queen will stop at nothing to claim what she has lost," The Finnish woman said. "She has spent so long searching for her child who was taken from her all those years ago. Even if you save Kai, she'll continue to pursue him, because she has lost him."

"Why can't she just let him go?" Gerda asked, exasperated. "Doesn't she realize how low of a chance there is that he's her son?"

"It's not about that, Gerda," The Finnish woman explained. "The Snow Queen needs something to fill that void that was left when her child was taken from her. She isn't happy unless she has someone who she can treat as her own."

"And how would you know this?" Gerda asked, turning to face the Finnish woman.

At this, the Finnish woman closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. When at last she opened her eyes, they were filled with unfathomable sadness.

"Because, Gerda. . . the Snow Queen is my daughter."

* * *

The Snow Queen sat in her throne room, her head in her hands. She hadn't spoken to anyone after she had ordered Kai locked away. She had simply remained in her throne room to seethe in cold, silent rage.

So close. She had been _so close._

Her mirror was so close to being fixed. Once it had been completed, she would have been able to find her precious child, who had been separated from her so long ago.

But Kai had ruined everything.

She wasn't sure what she was going to do with him. One part of her wanted to feed him to the wolves. Another wanted to simply cast him out into the wilderness to perish alone. And yet another wanted to simply keep him locked away to let him suffer for his transgressions.

Alas, those were simply thoughts. She wasn't sure if she could actually commit to doing it.

The Queen scarcely noticed when the door creaked open and small footsteps walked, hesitantly, into the throne room.

"Aisley," The Snow Queen said, barely acknowledging the Robber Girl as she entered.

"Hello, my Queen," Aisley greeted, scratching her nose awkwardly. She stood a considerable distance from the Snow Queen, as if worried that if she go too close, she might set the already irate Queen off.

An awkward silence loomed for a few moments, the Robber Girl shuffling her feet, looking like she wanted to say something, but couldn't.

Eventually, the Snow Queen broke the silence. "Why are you here?" She asked, agitated. "Can't you see I'm not in the mood for interaction?"

"I know, my Queen," Aisley said, speaking unusually softly. "But, my Queen, I was just wondering if I could have a small. . . gift."

The Snow Queen turned to stare at Aisley, her eyes cold. "A gift?"

"For bringing two of those mirror shards to you," Aisley said. "Now you only need to find one more piece, and it's bound to be close by. Maybe I could use that gift to find it."

The Snow Queen was silent for a moment, as if wondering whether she should humor the girl. After a few seconds, she groaned and asked, "What gift do you desire?"

At that, Aisley smirked.

* * *

 _Read and review._


	33. Agathe

_SpeechBubbleMe: And what were those theories?_

 _Frozengirl9712: Thanks._

* * *

"The Snow Queen is my daughter."

Hearing those words, Gerda fell silent. Though she didn't look at them, she could feel the look of shock cross over Belle and the Beast's face. It took several moments before Gerda could find the words to respond.

"The Queen. . . is your daughter?" She asked.

The Finnish woman nodded slowly, an almost guilty expression on her face.

"But how?" Gerda asked, still reeling from confusion.

"Everyone comes from someone," The Finnish woman told her. "The Snow Queen is a mother now, but not so long ago she was a daughter, like you."

Gerda pursed her lips. The comment reminded her that it had been a while since she had last seen her father. She knew that when they returned home, she and Belle had a lot of explaining to do.

"I had my little Agathe rather late in life," The Finnish woman said, her eyes drifting off as she remembered the Snow Queen as an infant in her arms. "My husband passed away shortly after she was born, leaving me to raise her with my sister."

"Your sister?" Gerda asked, intrigued. "Where is she?"

"Oh, you've met her," The Finnish woman said. "She sent me a note before you arrived. Said you and that pesky Robber Girl were at her house not so long ago."

Gerda's eyes widened for a moment, but she then resumed the original conversation. "What happened with the Snow Queen?"

"We raised our little Agathe as best as we could," The Finnish woman said. "She grew up a lovely girl. I remember when she would play out in the snow with the other boys and girls, so full of love and innocence." She smiled as she reminisced old times. "And there was nothing she loved more than to show off her magical mirror to everyone who would come to her."

At this, the Beast let out a low grunt. "So, what happened to the innocent girl?" He asked, a bitterness in his tone that let the others know he hadn't let go of his grudge towards the Snow Queen.

"She grew up," The Finnish woman said, and her smile faded. "We still watched over her, but we couldn't control her like we once did. She was a young woman, and like nearly everyone at that age, they make mistakes."

"What happened?" Belle asked.

"Agathe fell for a young man in the village," The Finnish woman explained. "He was handsome and she was taken away by him. My sister and I didn't think much of it at the time; she was at that age where she would yearn for someone to love." The old woman let out a deep breath before continuing. "But over time, we began to see her less and less, to the point where she seemed to be actively avoiding us."

Gerda, Belle and the Beast said nothing, simply listening on to the old woman's story.

"Over time, we became suspicious," The Finnish woman went on. "We actively sought her out, and pressed her to expel the truth. She may no longer have been a child, but she was still my daughter. Eventually, she could no longer hide the truth from us."

The Finnish woman went silent for a few moments and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she opened them.

"Agathe was pregnant."

Gerda let out a small gasp. Belle's shoulders bunched up a bit. The Beast remained silent, but he was visibly just as perturbed.

"W-What did you do?" Belle asked.

The Finnish woman sighed. "When we found out what Agathe and that man had done, we were furious," She said, her eyes sullen and tired. "We argued with my daughter. We shouted at her, shamed her. She lost her temper as well, and we said things we'd all come to regret. Eventually, I got so angry that I told Agathe to leave, and she did."

"She ran away," Gerda guessed, thinking back to the tale Kai's grandmother had told her.

"She had no home except here," The Finnish woman said. "But she wouldn't come back; I think she was too afraid to return. And with how angry me and my sister were, I can see why."

At that, the Beast let out an angry roar. "How could you?!" He bellowed, drawing himself up to his full height. "How could you abandon your own daughter like that?!" With a swipe of his paw, he swatted the table separating him from the old woman. She didn't even flinch as it crashed onto the ground several feet away.

"Beast!" Belle shouted, but he ignored her.

"Your daughter needed you, and you turned on her!" The Beast shouted at the Finnish woman, pointing a clawed finger at her. "You made her run away from her home, and because of you, she. . ." At that, the Beast stopped speaking. He fell silent as he realized the hypocrisy in his voice, and suddenly guilt-ridden, he sunk down onto the couch, all the rage having vanished as quickly as it had entered.

The Finnish woman showed no fear, simply sadness. "Yes, I sinned, same as her," The Finnish woman confessed, her eyes full of regret. "She made a grave mistake, but if it weren't for me, she wouldn't have continued down that past and become what she is now: cold-hearted."

"And now she has my friend," Gerda whispered. Pulling the gem out of her pocket, she held it up to the Finnish woman.

"That is the last piece of her mirror," The Finnish woman said. "She wants it."

Gerda took a deep breath. "Then I'll give it to her," She said. "If it'll end all of this, nothing will stop me. I'll rescue my friend and end Agathe's suffering."

"But how will we get to her castle?" The Beast asked. "I doubt we have much time. Last time, she raised the dead to find Kai; how long before she does something even worse?"

Right as he finished his sentence, the four heard gasps of shock arise from outside the house.

 _Oh no,_ Gerda thought. _Don't tell me the Snow Queen has extended her wrath once more._

Not planning on waiting to find out, Gerda rushed towards the door. "Gerda, wait up!" Belle called out, following close by with the Beast not far behind.

However, as Gerda swung the doors open, she didn't see any ruffians, or ice golems, or anything of the sort. What she saw, instead, caused her eyes to widen in awe.

Soaring in the sky, in a sleigh pulled by reindeers made of pure ice, was Aisley. The Robber Girl flew over the village, her eyes surveying the townsfolk below her, and her eyes finally landed on Gerda. When she saw her, her lips curled into a smile.

Before Gerda could react, the Robber Girl steered the sleigh towards the house. Gerda took a few steps backwards as the reindeers landed on the streets in front of her.

"Gerda!" The Robber Girl shouted, leaping out of the sleigh and wrapping her arms around the redhead.

"Aisley?" Gerda whispered in shock. "W-What are you doing here? And why are in a sleigh being pulled by reindeers?"

Aisley released Gerda from her embrace. "What do you think, Gerda?" She asked with a smile. "I'm going to help you save Kai."

* * *

 _Read and review._


	34. Aisley Returns

_Antha1: If only it were that easy..._

* * *

"I'm going to help you save Kai."

Gerda's eyes widened in shock at Aisley's words. Immediately, she was stricken with silence, scarcely able to respond until she heard the sound of Belle and the Beast trudging through the snow after her.

"Gerda," Belle said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulders. Looking upwards, she noticed Aisley.

"It's you," She whispered as she held onto Gerda. "Where did you go?"

"She was taken by the Snow Queen, along with Kai," Gerda explained to her. "But now you're back here. . . why?"

"I told you why," Aisley replied. There was a snideness in her tone, but at the same time, Gerda sensed a tenderness to her she hadn't recognized before.

"I've come to help you save Kai," Aisley continued. "I asked the Snow Queen to make me an enchanted sleigh. It can carry you to her castle. You can save Kai and return to your Grimm kingdom or whatever."

Before either sister could reply, the Beast strode up to Aisley. "How do we know this isn't a trick?" He asked suspiciously. "Aren't you one of the Queen's ruffians. You could be leading us into a trap for all we know."

"I don't care whether you trust me or not," Aisley snapped. "But when I saw Gerda and Kai together, I saw a bond between them I've never seen before. I don't know one person who would give themselves up to save their friend like that. I knew I couldn't allow the Snow Queen to keep them separated."

Gerda let out a small gasp, touched by Aisley's sincerity. "Oh, Aisley," She cooed, and wrapped her arms around the dark-haired girl in a tender embrace.

Uncomfortable, Aisley shook herself out of Gerda's grip. "Don't get all sentimental on me," She said, wagging her finger in Gerda's face in a condescending manner. "Let's just save your friend and get this over with."

"Wait," The Beast said, walking up to the girls. "Even if you do rescue Kai, the Snow Queen will continue to pursue him. You heard what the old woman said."

"No, she won't," Gerda said, finality in her tone. "Because when we get to her castle. . . I'll give her this." She held up the shining gem.

Belle stared at the gem, uncomfortable. "Gerda, are you sure?" She asked. "Kai must have given part of it to you for a reason. He didn't want the Snow Queen to have it."

"I don't care what Kai wants," Gerda replied. "I care that he get home to his family. And if giving her the gem is the only way to get the Queen to stop chasing him, then I'll do it."

"Well then, we haven't much time to waste," Aisley declared. "Let's get a move on, before the Snow Queen realizes my intentions."

As the group hurried to board the sleigh, the elderly Finnish woman exited the house and limped after them. "Wait," She called out, extending her arm.

The group paused and turned towards the Finnish woman.

The Finnish woman stared at the group for a moment in silence, then replied. "Promise me you'll save my daughter," She pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. "I know inside that frozen heart, she's still in there."

Gerda stared at the Finnish woman in contemplation. Finally, she spoke.

"I'll try."

And with that, the sleigh took off into the air and towards the Snow Queen's castle.

* * *

The Snow Queen paced around in her throne room, feeling a slightly-renewed sense of happiness. Though she was still displeased that her mirror was incomplete, rewarding the Robber Girl with the enchanted sleigh had left her with a sense of self-worth.

She didn't know why Aisley had asked for the sleigh, but she had reasoned that, being a child, Aisley merely wanted a gift for all her troubles. It didn't hurt to grant her that. Now that she was gone, she merely had to attend to matters concerning finding the final piece of her mirror-

The Snow Queen was distracted as she noticed the mirror on the wall begin to glow. Turning towards the mirror, she stared into its surface, wondering what it would show her now.

As she stared on, an image materialized in the surface of the mirror. She saw the enchanted ice sleigh directed by Aisley. And seated behind her was Gerda, Belle, and the Beast.

"The Queen's castle isn't far away," Aisley said towards her compatriots. "We'll be there in no time. Then you can rescue Kai and leave this place."

The Snow Queen's eyes widened in shock. _Aisley, my Aisley, is helping them?_

As she struggled to comprehend her thoughts, she noticed that Gerda was carrying a glowing object in the palm of her hand. It took her only a few moments to recognize it.

"The missing shard," She whispered in shock. Then, a grin curled upon her lips.

"Aisley, my Aisley, so you are still of use to me," She sneered.

Turning towards the entrance of her throne room, the Snow Queen bellowed, "Guards!"

Immediately, several of her men rushed through the entrance. "Yes, my Queen!" One of them said.

"We have some unexpected guests," The Snow Queen said, her arms folded. "Release the wolves to give them my greetings."

The guards turned towards the mirror, and then back towards the Queen. "Yes, my Queen," The lead guard said, and the guards immediately turned and left.

The Snow Queen turned towards the mirror and grinned. "Come to me, my pawns," She whispered. "You have no idea the favor you're granting me by coming here."

* * *

 _Read and review._


	35. Infiltration

_SpeechBubbleMe: Uh-huh._

 _Antha1: Right..._

* * *

Gerda stared silently ahead of her as Aisley steered the icy sleigh across the frozen landscape. She felt the cold wind brush lightly against her cheeks, and the decrease in temperature subconsciously let her know that they were drawing closer to the Snow Queen's castle.

Behind the two girls, Belle and the Beast held onto each other tightly. Gerda pretended not to notice how close the two seemed, and wondered what had transpired between them in her absence.

"There it is!" Aisley said, pointing her finger at a tall, looming shape in the distance. Soon, the fog cleared, letting the rest of the group see that it was the Snow Queen's castle. Instantly, the group felt chills course through their veins at the sight. Gerda had been awaiting this moment for days, but now that it was finally here, all she could feel was anxiety.

"Land there!" Aisley commanded the reindeer, outwardly showing no fear. The reindeer obeyed and came to a stop on a large balcony overlooking the rest of the castle.

Quickly, the group disembarked from the sleigh. "Alright, what's the plan?" The Beast asked, draping his cloak over him, as if for protection.

"Get Kai, come back here, and flee," Gerda replied bluntly.

"I know, but what's the _plan_?" The Beast repeated, sounding more anxious.

"To not die in the process," Gerda said.

The Beast sighed. "Good plan," He said sarcastically.

Aisley stepped forward. "I know where Kai is imprisoned," She told the rest of the group. "Come with me and I'll guide you."

"At least she's got an idea on how we're going to win this," The Beast said. Turning to Wynter, he commanded, "Stay here." The reindeer nodded and sat down on the balcony next to the frozen reindeer.

And with that, the group headed off into the hallways, Aisley leading the way.

* * *

Gerda wasn't sure how long they walked. Aisley had sneaked the group through the icy hallways, careful to avoid any guards. The sly Robber Girl knew the castle well, and knew which paths to take where the least amount of guards were stationed, but even then, it perturbed Gerda that they hadn't come across a single ruffian. She didn't voice these suspicions, however, for fear that even the slightest noise would attract attention.

"We're getting close," Aisley whispered, turning to face the rest of the group. "When we reach the cell, we grab him and run. Got it?"

"Yes," The rest of the group said in unison.

As they reached the end of one of the hallways, Aisley stopped the group. "Stay here," She whispered. "I'll go into the cell."

As the group remained hidden against the edge of the hallway, the Robber Girl stepped across the edge and headed towards the cell door. Taking a deep breath, she jumped in front of the open entrance to the cell, and let out a gasp.

"What is it?" Belle asked, concerned. Immediately, she and the rest of the group stepped over the edge into the other hallway, where Aisley was standing.

Slowly, the dark-haired girl turned to face them, her eyes filled with dread.

"He's not there," She whispered.

The moment she spoke those words, the group felt the ground beneath them begin to quake. Cracks appeared in the ice below their feet and spread across the hallway, and they heard the sound of the ice crumbling right under them.

"The ground is crumbling!" Gerda shouted in horror. Immediately, the group took off down the hallway to avoid the cracking floors. As they ran, the ice shattered below them, shards crashing onto the ground below.

Belle and the Beast weren't fast enough, and the ice below them shattered, taking them along with it. "Gerda!" Belle shouted as she and the Beast collapsed along with the broken shards.

"No!" Gerda shouted, turning and stretching her arm out, as if to catch them. However, Aisley grabbed a hold of her collar and yanked her back, pulling both of them to the ground. As they landed, the ground stopped crumbling. By then, nearly the entire hallway had collapsed.

Scrambling to her knees, Gerda rushed to the edge of the small chasm. "Belle?!" She shouted out, her voice filled with worry. Looking down, she saw Belle and the Beast, lying on the ground, a level below them. They appeared hurt, but not totally devastated.

"G-Gerda?" Belle whispered, groaning as she sat up. The Beast followed soon afterwards, helping the maiden to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Gerda asked.

"Yes, we're fine," Belle reassured her younger sister. "Keep on moving; we'll carry on from here."

"Um, okay," Gerda said, her voice nearly cracking from stress. Gripping Aisley's shoulder, she said, "L-Lead the way."

As the two girls stood up, they heard the Snow Queen's voice echo throughout the chambers.

 _"I have your precious Kai. If you want him, follow this voice and you'll find him. But be forewarned; you'll have to face me."_

Gerda hesitated a mere moment; then, her face twisted into determination. "Come on!" She said to Aisley, and with that, she rushed down the hallway in the direction of the Snow Queen's voice.

In the hallway below, the Beast said, "We have to follow her!" The pair were about to head in Gerda's direction, but a sinister voice stopped them.

 _"That message was for the girl and the girl alone,"_ The voice in the darkness whispered. _"You will not interfere."_

The Beast's nostrils flared. He and Belle recognized that voice. Slowly, the two of them turned around to see a pair of fangs and glowing eyes appear out of the shadows.

The Black Wolf.

The Beast snarled, still reeling from their last encounter. As the two watched, more wolves stepped out to join the Black Wolf's side.

 _"So, we meet again,"_ The Black Wolf sneered. _"Again, and for the last time."_

* * *

Gerda rushed down the hallways as fast as she could. At this point, she didn't care for sneaking around; it was obvious the Snow Queen was aware of her presence anyways. She didn't fear meeting any ruffians; in her current state, they wouldn't dare mess with her.

"Gerda, slow down!" Aisley called out, trailing behind her as fast as she could; alas, she couldn't hope to keep up with the adrenaline-filled redhead.

Suddenly, ice spikes sprouted from the ground and walls, blocking Aisley's path and separating the two. "Gerda!" Aisley shouted, stretching her arms between the spikes. She tried to squeeze through them, but it was a futile effort.

Gerda scarcely noticed; the only thing on her mind was Kai. At the end of the hallway she saw a door that no doubt led to the room Kai was imprisoned in. Without a second thought, she smashed right through it, the door shattering into ice upon contact.

Gerda collapsed onto the ground, grunting. As she got onto her hands and feet, she saw that she was a massive chamber, a ballroom of sorts.

And at the end of the chamber, she saw him.

There Kai was, suspended in the air, his hands and feet encased in ice, keeping him trapped. His skin was an icy white, his red and cheeks red, and his eyes struggled to stay open. He looked utterly exhausted.

"Kai!" Gerda shouted, springing to her feet.

She was about to rush towards him, but before she could, a tall figure stepped out of the darkness. It moved towards Kai, but her eyes were on Gerda.

The redhead's eyes narrowed in pure hatred at the figure. It was none other than the Snow Queen herself.

"Finally, you have come," The Queen said, a sinister grin on her face. "Go on, little girl; try and save your friend. But know that you do it at your own peril."

Gerda narrowed her eyes, unwilling to be intimidated. She had come here to rescue Kai.

And so help her, she was going to succeed.


	36. Battle in the Castle

_Next chapter up!_

* * *

Gerda faced the Snow Queen, her eyes filled with venomous flames as they glared into the Queen's cold, icy ones. Her teeth were gritted together as she and her enemy faced off, both after the same thing.

Kai.

Gerda weighed her options as she stared down the Queen, trying to configure a plan before taking action. She was smaller, weaker, and lacked the Snow Queen's powers. She had all the disadvantages in the situation; rescuing Kai definitely would not be an easy task.

But. . . she saw how utterly _helpless_ Kai looked. His body was limp, his breaths long and drawn out, his eyes half-lidded. He was suffering, no doubt, and she couldn't continue to stand there idly while he still lay in the Snow Queen's grasp. She had to save him.

"Release him!" Gerda shouted, trying to sound forceful, though she knew it was a futile demand. She would have to take Kai by force.

"Not until I have my child back," The Snow Queen replied, her voice lower but with an equal amount of force. Her eyes narrowed at the small girl, her fingers twitching, threatening to unveil her icy powers.

Gerda did not falter. She would not be intimidated.

Without even thinking, Gerda felt herself move forward. Her legs soared down the ballroom as if with a mind of its own, charging quickly towards the Snow Queen and her friend.

The Snow Queen's eyes sparkled. Before Gerda could properly register the act, a sharp ice spike emerged from the ground, blocking her path. She instinctively sidestepped out of the way, nearly slipping on the ice, and twisted her body to avoid getting impaled as another spike emerged from the wall inches away from her.

She continued running towards the Snow Queen. The ice spikes continued to emerge from the walls and grounds, attempting to block her path. But Gerda was too fast, agilely dodging past the sharp spikes as they emerged around the ballroom.

The Snow Queen narrowed her eyes. Lifting her arm, she summoned a large row of spikes from the ground, creating a barrier to entrap the redhead. Thinking quickly, Gerda jumped up into the air, aiming at a large spike protruding from the wall. Her fingers tightened around the spike and she swung over the barrier, narrowly avoiding getting skewered on the spikes. With a thud, she landed on the ground on the other side of the barrier.

Breathing heavily, Gerda lifted her eyes to face the Queen. Getting past the Queen's first line of defenses had given her a renewed confidence, but it wasn't over yet.

It would take all of her strength to win this battle.

* * *

In another section of the castle, an even more ferocious battle was being waged, this one between the Beast and the Black Wolf.

A flurry of fur, fangs and claws swirled throughout the corridors as the two beasts ravaged one another. Nearby, Belle watched on, prevented from intervening from the Snow Queen's wolves.

The Beast and Black Wolf's battle brought them to the Snow Queen's reading room. Landing on top of one another, the two continued to bite and claw the other before the Beast kicked the wolf off of him, sending the animal crashing onto the floor several feet away.

Belle and the wolves stopped at the door, watching on in anticipation. Belle wanted desperately to join the Beast's side, but she knew that would only hinder the Beast in his fight.

The Beast and the Black Wolf got to their feet. Both were bleeding, but the Beast was proving more resilient than before. The Black Wolf bared his teeth, exhausted, but still capable of fighting.

 _"What made you keep going?"_ He asked, pacing around the Beast, who watched him carefully, on full alert. _"Do you think helping that girl rescue her friend will shatter your curse, and you won't be a beast anymore?"_

"No," The Beast whispered. "Because I'm _not_ a beast. Not anymore."

The Black Wolf snarled. _"You'll always be a beast,"_ He snarled, and lunged at the Beast.

However, the Beast was ready. As the Black Wolf lunged, the Beast stepped aside and slashed the wolf's abdomen with his claws. The Black Wolf howled in pain and collided with the wall with enough force to crack it.

The Beast stood tall over his downed opponent, breathing heavily. The Black Wolf glared up at him, fury in his eyes, but too injured to continue the fight. Whipping his head towards the rest of his pack, he growled, _"Tear him apart!"_

Quickly, the rest of the pack surged forward towards the Beast. Quickly, he swiped them away, but they simply continued attacking.

Belle watched the ferocious battle take place, and her eyes fell upon a massive bookshelf that stood against the wall. As the wolves occupied themselves subduing the Beast, Belle quickly rushed towards the shelf, grabbing hold of it.

"Beast!" She shouted, alerting the Beast to what she was doing. Using all of her strength, she shoved the shelf over, causing it to topple and crush several wolves beneath it. The force of the blow caused the floor to give way, and part of the ground crumpled into ice shards. The shelf and the wolves proceeded to fall through the floor, their howls echoing throughout the castle as they plummeted.

"Come on!" Belle shouted towards the Beast, gesturing with her arm. The Beast threw several of the remaining wolves off of him and leaped over the hole, joining Belle on the other side. The two rushed out of the room, leaving the Black Wolf lying on the ground, too injured to move.

* * *

Gerda tackled the Snow Queen, using all of her force to send the Queen toppling over. Recovering quickly, she scrambled over to Kai, wielding a broken ice spike. Quickly, she used the spike to chip away at the ice restraints holding Kai in place.

"Come on," She whispered, using all of her strength to break the ice. However, as the ice began to crack, Gerda was suddenly picked up by a burst of wind. Screaming in sudden fear, Gerda was blown up towards the ceiling, flailing helplessly in the Snow Queen's blizzard.

The young girl twisted in the air like a rag doll, utterly powerless. The Snow Queen used her magic to pull Gerda closer towards her, until they were within arms length of each other. Once she was close enough, the Snow Queen outstretched her arm and grabbed Gerda around the neck. Quickly, the blizzard ceased.

"Foolish child," The Snow Queen whispered, holding Gerda tight. "Did you really think you would succeed?" Her fingers tightened around the redhead's neck, causing Gerda to struggle in her grip, attempting futilely to pry the Queen's fingers from her throat.

"Here, in my castle, in my domain, you have _no_ power," The Queen sneered. "None."

Despite her pain, Gerda grinned. "You're. . . wrong," She choked out, her voice weak, but forceful. "Because I have the one thing you _need_."

Shoving her hand into her pocket, Gerda pulled out the last, remaining shard.

The Snow Queen let out a gasp. Quickly, she released Gerda, who collapsed onto the ground, coughing and rubbing her hand over her neck. The shard clattered onto the ground, out of Gerda's grip.

"The shard," The Snow Queen whispered, her eyes on the gem. She immediately scooped it up and caressed it tenderly in her hands, breathing heavily, as if entranced by it.

Getting to her feet, Gerda limped over to Kai. Using the shard, she finally shattered Kai's bonds. The pale boy collapsed onto the ground, but Gerda caught him and gently set him down on the ground.

"Kai," Gerda whispered.

Kai looked up at Gerda, squinting his eyes at her. "Gerda?" He whispered, his voice soft and fragile. His cheeks and fingers were red, and his skin was icy cold. Seeing him so delicate filled Gerda with concern. She wanted nothing more than to get him home, safe and sound.

Nearby, the Snow Queen summoned the mirror with a wave of her hand. It appeared on the wall in a burst of light. The Snow Queen approached it, holding the shard out, her arms trembling. She had practically forgotten about Gerda and Kai. All her attention was on the mirror.

On the other side of the ballroom, Belle and the Beast arrived, along with Aisley. "Gerda!" Belle shouted upon spotting the two children. "Kai!"

Helping Kai to his feet, Gerda half-walked, half-ran towards the ballroom's exit. Seeing her struggling, Aisley rushed forward and helped her carry Kai towards the door.

"Come on, we don't have much time," The Robber Girl said as she and Gerda lifted Kai up and carried him towards Belle and the Beast.

At the end of the ballroom, the Snow Queen slowly placed the shard into the mirror, allowing it to be absorbed into it. As it connected with the mirror, the Snow Queen knew, without a doubt, that her mirror was finally complete.

 _Yes,_ she thought. _After so long, it is done._

By now, the children had reached the ballroom's exit. The girls handed Kai over to the Beast to carry, and they prepared to flee, before the Snow Queen snapped out of her trance.

As they were about to run, however, they paused when they heard the Snow Queen say, "Mirror, show me my lost child."

As if unwillingly, they all turned towards the mirror, a morbid curiosity filling them. After all this suffering had been caused for the sake of the Snow Queen finding her child, they all, subconsciously, wanted to know the truth as much as the Queen did.

What they saw filled them with utter horror, with the exception of Kai, who simply closed his eyes in resigned defeat, having known the truth for some time.

None were more horrified, however, than Gerda herself.

They didn't spare even another moment afterwards. Whether for fear of the Snow Queen, or fear of the truth that had been revealed to them, they couldn't remain any longer.

They ran.

* * *

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	37. Home

_Antha1: Ssh...and anyways, now you know._

* * *

No one spoke a word on the trip home.

After the confrontation with the Snow Queen, that had been it. There had been no epic battle to reach the ice sleigh; no confrontation with the Snow Queen's guard; no lucky last-second escape from the monarch's cold grasp. The group had simply ran down the hallway, unsure of where they were even going until they finally reached the balcony where the sleigh remained. Then, they had scrambled inside, Aisley took the reigns, and they flew off.

Away from the Snow Queen's castle. Away from the icy regions. Away from _her_.

But no matter how far they went, how small the castle became as they drew farther away from it, there was no escaping the _nightmare_ that had been etched into their souls.

Nobody had any words to say once they left. They simply remained stricken in silence, all of them pondering what they had just witnessed. The only one not doing so was Kai, but he, too, remained silent, if only out of shame.

Luckily, Aisley hadn't needed to be told where to go next. The moment they had escaped the Snow Queen's castle, the former Robber Girl had set course for the Kingdom of Grimm.

Reaching the kingdom had proved a simple task; in the air, there was no worry of being hounded by the Queen's ruffians or wolves, and judging from the safe flight, the Snow Queen wasn't even trying to stop them. The only challenge was navigating the way to the kingdom, but Gerda and Belle had been able to provide directions.

After what seemed like an eternity, the clouds cleared and the group could see the Kingdom of Grimm looming in the distance. The sight of home had seemed to bring some warmth to the group, but only a little. Kai's pale cheeks vanished, and his breathing, which had been scarce since they left, became deeper and more frequent. Immediately, Gerda took him and held him close to her. After being separated for so long, she wasn't willing to let him go.

As soon as they were above the kingdom, Aisley landed the sleigh in the center of the town, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Townspeople, several of whom were familiar to Gerda and her friends, rushed towards the sleigh to see who had arrived.

Once they saw the occupants of the sleigh, several of the villagers spoke up.

"Gerda and Belle are back! And they have Kai with them, too!"

"Thank Heavens they are safe!"

"We must tell their families!"

Seeing the townsfolk so happy warmed the hearts of the group. They quickly exited the sleigh, glad to be home; Aisley and the Beast, who weren't residents of the kingdom, merely stood by, hoping not to attract attention to themselves.

Squeezing through the crowd, Snow White rushed towards the sleigh and enveloped Belle in a hug. "Oh Belle, you're safe!" She said as she squeezed the brunette close to her. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Belle was about to return the hug and explain what had happened on her journey when she heard several of the townsfolk let out gasps of horror. It was only then that she remembered that most of the townsfolk weren't familiar with the Beast whom she and her sister had become acquainted with on their quest.

"Wait, stop," Belle told the townsfolk, quickly rushing to the Beast's side. "He's not a monster. He's my friend. He's. . . just cursed."

This seemed to calm the townsfolk down a bit, though they kept their distance from the Beast. The cursed Prince simply let out an exasperated sigh.

"I guess this is only karma for the way I treated the woman who would become the Snow Queen," He muttered under his breath.

Nearby, Gerda gently pulled Kai out of the sleigh. He was still weak from his imprisonment by the Snow Queen, and could barely stand on his own, so Gerda half-carried him as they exited the sleigh. They had barely made it a few steps when Kai's father, Thomas, roughly shoved his way through the crowd, having heard of his son's return by some of the townsfolk.

"Kai!" He shouted with joy when he saw his son in Gerda's arms. Immediately, he rushed forward and plucked Kai into the air and out of Gerda's grasp, nearly causing the girl to stumble and fall.

"My boy!" Thomas said as he held his son in the air, weeping tears of joy. "You've come back to me! My son has returned!" He hugged his son tightly, protectively, as if silently making ensuring him that no more harm would come to his child.

Gerda watched on, her eyes filled with sadness. Shutting them tight, she turned away.

Soon enough, Gerda and Belle's father showed up. "My girls!" He said, rushing to hug them. "You're back! Oh, I nearly died of worry!"

"It's alright, dad, we're home," Belle consoled him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, where were you all these days?" He asked, concerned.

"It's a long story," Belle told him. "I'll tell you all of it. But first, can we please go home?"

* * *

Gerda and Belle's father hadn't expected to be having two more guests besides his daughters arriving at his house; especially when one of them was a beast. But he figured that everything would be explained to him in due time, and sure enough, it was.

Belle, the Beast and Aisley explained all that had transpired on their journey, leaving no details out. It was quite a shock for the old man, who simply listened on intently, like a child. The only one who didn't speak was Gerda, who sat silently on the stairs, looking distant.

As they neared the end of their tale, however, the three trailed off. "Well, what happened?" The man asked them when they remained silent for a few moments. "You reached the Queen's castle, and then what?"

Slowly, Belle cast her eyes towards Gerda, who sat with her back turned on the stairs. As if feeling the eyes on her, the redhead slowly turned to face the others, dried tears in her eyes.

"Gerda?" Her father asked, worried. "What. . . happened at the Snow Queen's castle?"

For a few, tense moments, there was no response. Gerda simply stared at her father with cold, lifeless eyes. The only movement was her lips, which quivered ever so slightly.

After a few moments, she spoke.

"Why?" She asked, nearly choking out the question. "Why am _I_ the Snow Queen's daughter?"

* * *

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	38. A Horrifying Revelation

_Antha1: Trust me, the Queen's not out of their hair yet..._

* * *

"Why am _I_ the Snow Queen's daughter?"

The question loomed in the air like frosted breath. There was an uncomfortable silence as all four inhabitants of the house stared at Gerda, whose eyes were filled with cold, bitter sadness.

After what seemed like an eternity, Gerda's father found his voice. "Gerda, what are you talking about?"

Gerda squeezed her eyes shut, biting down hard on her lip. "It's me," She whispered softly, her teeth gritted. "I'm. . . her daughter." She struggled with every word, as if the thought of her _true_ heritage was causing her physical pain.

For a moment, Gerda's father was still. Then, unexpectedly, he let out a small laugh.

"Oh Gerda, that was a good one!" He said in an amused tone. "It's good to see that wretched adventure didn't ruin your sense of humor!" But even as he tried to look at ease, the sense of doubt and denial in his voice was not lost on those present.

Gerda stood up from the staircase, her eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Stop laughing!" She growled, causing her father to shut up immediately.

Immediately, everyone in the room became tense as Gerda glared at them with rage-filled eyes. For Belle and their father, it wasn't an abnormality to see Gerda angry; everyone got angry at times. But this was different. There wasn't just anger in her expression; there was something _else_ , something worse than simple anger.

Pure devastation.

"This isn't right," Gerda said, speaking more to herself than anyone in particular. She raised her hands to rub her forehead as she paced around, deep in thought. "This can't be happening. I am a normal girl, I was born and raised in the Kingdom of Grimm. . ."

"Gerda," Belle whispered, her voice as cool as a winter breeze. Gerda stopped her rambling, and turned to face her elder sister, her eyes lost and confused.

"Belle, tell me I'm dreaming," She pleaded, extending her arms forward. "Please, we're sisters. We're family. I can't be related to. . . _her_."

Belle briefly closed her eyes. She wanted desperately to lie, to comfort her sister and tell her that they were truly related, that they had the same mother and father. But as she opened her eyes and turned to face her father, and the Beast, she knew she had to come clean. No comforting lies would be able to ease Gerda's pain.

"Gerda, I found you when you were merely a babe," Belle explained softly. "You were lying in the outskirts of the kingdom, nothing but a soft blanket shielding you from the winter cold. You would've surely frozen to death, so I took you in. Me and my father tried to find if you had any relatives, but we found nothing. So we decided to take you in as our own."

Gerda's face crumpled. She slowly cast her eyes from Belle and towards her father - or at least, the man she used to think was her father.

"It's. . . true, dear," The man confessed, a guilt-ridden look on his face. He cast his eyes to the ground, unwilling to see Gerda's reaction.

The Beast and Aisley stared at Belle and her father, unsure what to say. They then turned to look at Gerda, whose face had shifted from confusion to empty bitterness.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gerda asked, staring at her feet.

"We didn't think it was important," Belle admitted. "We didn't think we'd ever find your true parents. So we felt there simply wasn't a need."

She knew it wasn't a convincing excuse, and from the look on Gerda's face, she didn't think so either.

"I can't believe this," The redhead said, sweat dripping from her forehead from anxiety. "I can't be the daughter of the Snow Queen." Tears were beginning to stream from her eyes.

"Gerda-" Her father began, standing up and extending a hand forward to comfort her.

"Leave me alone!" Gerda shouted, and she immediately rushed through the door out the house and into the freezing cold. She could faintly hear the house's residents calling out for her to stop, but they were like faint echoes against her agony.

In her panicked daze, she bumped into several villagers, receiving annoyed shouts and glares in response, but she ignored them. She rushed down the streets of Grimm, trying to find someplace where she could be alone, free from the townsfolk, from her 'family'.

She didn't stop running until she was on the outskirts of the village, on the borders of the dark forest. There, she collapsed onto her knees, staring blankly at the empty abyss that lay before her. The abyss that, not too long ago, she had trekked through fearlessly in search of her friend, every second yearning to return home.

But now that she was back, she wondered if she truly could call it 'home'.

"Well at least now we know what Kai was hiding from us."

Snapping to attention, Gerda whipped her head around at who had spoken from behind her. It was Aisley.

"Looking back on it, it was rather obvious," Aisley continued. She sounded bizarrely casual, given the circumstances.

"I mean, why else would Kai go to such great lengths to keep the remaining mirror shard out of the Snow Queen's hands?" She said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "He must have seen your eyes in her own and then, he just knew."

"Why are you here?" Gerda asked, squinting her eyes at the former Robber Girl. She wasn't far away, but it was hard to see through her tears.

"Gerda, I know this is a lot to take in, but I doubt it's that bad," Aisley told her. "So what if the Snow Queen's your mom? That doesn't change the fact that Belle's your sister and your dad is your dad."

"It's not just that," Gerda said, waving Aisley off in exasperation, causing the dark-haired girl to flinch.

Gerda sighed. "All of this is because of me," she said, guilt welling up in the pit of her stomach. "Everything the Snow Queen - my _mom_ \- has done, it's because of me."

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for this," Aisley replied, her voice sharp but sympathetic. "You were just a baby. Everything the Snow Queen did was of her own choice."

"So what if it is?" Gerda asked. "Doesn't change the fact that it's my fault she did it."

Aisley groaned. "At least you're home," she said, trying to find some positives to the situation. "And Kai is safe."

Gerda stood up. "Yes, but for how long?" she asked, turning to face Aisley. "The Snow Queen knows I'm her lost child. She knows I'm back at Grimm. Which means. . ." She shut her eyes tightly, wincing before speaking again.

". . . Which means it won't be long before she comes."

* * *

Ever since that ragtag group of miscreants had infiltrated her castle and rescued Kai, the Snow Queen had been deep in thought as she contemplated this stunning revelation.

Gerda, that mere peasant girl, had been her child all along.

Looking back on it, it genuinely baffled her that she hadn't considered it beforehand. She had been the correct age, after all, and who else but her own offspring would have been able to withstand all the trials and tribulations she had dealt out on her throughout her journey?

And then there was Kai. Back when he had broken the gem in two to keep her from repairing her mirror, she hadn't understood why he had done it. She had figured it had been simple malicious intent on his part, a spiteful attempt to keep her from achieving closure. Now she knew he had done it out of love.

 _Why couldn't you see what was right in front of you?_

She hadn't understood his words then. She did now.

And now that she had comprehended everything, she felt. . . lost.

All that searching, all those years of striving to reclaim what she had lost, to discover the truth. Now that the truth had been unveiled, she was stumped. She thought she had been prepared for this day, for this very moment.

But she wasn't sure she was.

But alas, she hadn't spent over a decade looking for her lost child for nothing. Now that she knew who her child was, she couldn't simply let her go. She had to go after her. It had been her purpose, her _only_ purpose, in years.

"Tobias!" she suddenly called out.

Immediately, the guard rushed inside. "Yes, my Queen?" He asked, bowing before her.

"Gather the others," The Snow Queen commanded. "We're heading to the Kingdom of Grimm."

* * *

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	39. Ice's Embrace

_Next chapter up._

* * *

Surrounding the Snow Queen's castle, golems of ice, the remnants of all who had passed away in the years beforehand, tore their way out of their unmarked graves and above ground, willed to life by the Queen's magic. In their midst, wolves and ruffians joined their sides, ready to carry out their leader's wishes.

Whether they wanted to or not.

From atop the balcony overlooking her frozen kingdom, the Snow Queen stared down at her forces. "Today will be the way," she whispered with frosted breath. Today she would take what had been denied from her for so long. Today she would claim her lost child from the Kingdom of Grimm. It wouldn't matter if they fought back; she had gone through too much to let _anyone_ stand in her way now.

Except herself.

Even as she called down to her minions to prepare them for battle, she could feel an ache in the pit of her stomach, tugging at her soul, as if some unseen force was trying to beckon her to choose another path.

 _The child is at her true home now, with the ones who raised her. She can't be taken from them now._

The Snow Queen closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, feeling an inner turmoil replace the bitter cold that had been dwelling within her for over a decade. She hadn't felt this amount of pain since the night she had been transformed from the helpless, homeless woman into the being she was now.

The child, Gerda, did not see her as her mother. She had spent her life raised by another family entirely; it occurred to her that she likely would not abandon them for her.

But why was that? After all, she had been the one to give birth to her, to hold her tight in her first few hours alive. It was through her that Gerda existed at all.

And then she had been taken from her, by the cruelty of those around her who had not helped her when she needed it. If not for that, she would have truly been Gerda's mother, raising her as her own like she was meant to, rather than searching the globe for someone that should have been hers. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

After all these years separated from the one thing she loved the most, she could not give her up. She would come and claim what she had loved and lost so long ago.

Whether Gerda wanted it or not.

"Come!" The Snow Queen shouted to her forces below. "Onward, to the Kingdom of Grimm!"

* * *

Kai had never felt so happy to be home in his life.

As soon as he was safe under his own roof, his father, grandmother, and the neighbors to had done their best to ensure he was well taken care of. When he had recovered from the frostbite he had received during his time as a prisoner, the other neighbors and even his father had immediately showered him with questions.

"Where were you imprisoned?"

"Why had you been taken?"

"Is it true that you were abducted by the Snow Queen?"

Kai had been too exhausted to answer all of the questions, and after a while, the neighbors were shooed out of the house to allow Kai time to rest after all the hardships he had been through. Eventually, the only one by his side was his father.

Thomas stared down at his son, feeling as if a massive weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. His son, his boy, was back home.

"Kai?" he whispered to him, resting a hand on his son's forehead.

"Yes, dad?" Kai asked, happy to be able to look at his father's face after fearing he'd never see him again.

"I just want you to know that I'm glad you're back," he said, ruffling his son's hair. "Those days you were gone. . . they were the scariest days of my whole life. And I'm. . . I'm glad your friend, Gerda, was able to bring you back."

 _Gerda._

How could Kai have forgotten? In his excitement at having finally been home, he had neglected his own friend, the pain she must have been going through. It was a pain he had desperately been trying to protect her from, but he realized it was perhaps inevitable that the truth would have been unveiled sooner or later.

And now that it was, he could hardly guess how Gerda was coping.

Which is why he knew he had to see her.

* * *

On the outskirts of the kingdom, Gerda sat alone, facing the forest, one question plaguing her mind.

 _Should I remain?_

The irony - she had spent her whole adventure yearning to return home, but now that she was, part of her felt she needed to leave it. It wasn't that she wanted to; she wanted more than ever to stay with her family and friends and put this whole adventure behind her.

Except she couldn't, and she knew her _mother_ wouldn't either.

She knew it was only a matter of time until the Snow Queen came. She had worked too hard to find her lost child, a child she wasn't even sure was still alive, just to let her be now that she knew who she was and where she lived. No, the Snow Queen would not just let her return to Grimm.

She would be coming for her, and the whole kingdom would be in danger.

Which is why she didn't know if she should stay. As long as she was in Grimm, everyone's lives were at stake. She didn't want anyone's blood to be on her hands. But if she did go. . . what then?

"It must be a tough choice for you."

Gerda whirled around in shock, unaware that someone had sneaked up on her. Her eyes widened when she saw it was none other than Kai, the boy she had worked so hard to rescue.

"Kai!" she blurted out, collecting herself. "You're already up?"

"Hey, it was just some ice," Kai replied, shrugging it off, even though his skin was still deathly pale. "I'll manage. The real question is, will you?"

At that, Gerda's face crumpled. "Oh Kai, this is awful!" she wailed, racing forward and enveloping Kai in her embrace. "Things weren't supposed to go like this. My mother is that accursed Snow Queen, and she'll be coming for _me_!"

"And when that happens, we'll be ready for her," Kai reassured her. "This kingdom has survived worse." He gestured to the castle looming over the kingdom, the castle where Queen Rosina had once lived.

"It's not just that," Gerda said, tearing out of the embrace. "Don't you see, Belle and my papa. . . they aren't really my family. How can I say I belong with them now that I know what I am?"

"Hey, don't say that," Kai told her. "They are your family. They took you in, they raised you as your own. I don't care if they don't share your blood; they're more of a family than that Snow Queen ever could be."

Gerda smiled softly. "Kai, I don't know what I'm gonna do," she said, her face falling. "When the Snow Queen comes. . ."

Kai rested a hand on her shoulder. "Gerda, remember when we were prisoners in the Wicked Queen's dungeons?" he asked.

"How could I forget?" Gerda replied, raising an eyebrow. It had only been a year ago, after all.

"When you were despairing, I told you that no matter how grim things got, it would turn out for the better," Kai reminded her.

Gerda nodded. "If it wasn't for you, I likely would've gone insane in those cellars," she admitted, giggling softly to herself. "But not you. You were so brave, just like when the Snow Queen held you prisoner."

Kai smiled, but then took a deep breath and continued. "To tell you the truth, Gerda: when we were imprisoned in the dungeons, I was terrified."

Gerda's eyes widened. "You were?" she asked, breathless.

"I was a wreck on the inside," Kai revealed. "Every day, all I could think about was whether I would be next, if I would be chosen to be the Queen's next victim. Those were the scariest days of my life. I surely would've lost it in there, but someone kept me going."

"Who?" Gerda asked, a smile beginning to form on the edge of her cheek.

"You," Kai said. "Because I knew that, as scared as I was, I couldn't allow you, both of us, to abandon hope. If it weren't for you with me, I definitely would've lost all hope."

Gerda smiled in spite of herself. "Oh Kai. . ."

"And you shouldn't lose hope now," Kai stated. "You've faced wolves, ice golems, the Snow Queen herself just to get to me! I know how strong you truly are! You can't give up hope now!" As he spoke, he held onto Gerda's shoulders tightly and lowered his head.

"Please. . . for me. . . for Grimm. . . stay strong."

Slowly, Gerda wrapped her arms around Kai and pulled him close. "I. . . I'll try," she whispered into his ear.

A tear streamed down Kai's cheek. "Thank you, Gerda," he said as the two embraced once more.

* * *

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	40. Under Siege

_Guest: Yeah..._

* * *

On the outskirts of Grimm, Hansel, Gretel and Goldilocks sat on the meadows overlooking the kingdom.

"Did you hear about Gerda and Kai?" Gretel asked her siblings, having just returned from the town. "I can't believe they're finally back. I thought for sure they were goners!"

"Me too," Hansel replied, ruffling his hair. "I couldn't wait to ask them all about what happened. But they were awfully quiet, 'specially Gerda. I wonder what happened to them on that journey."

"Did you notice they brought back this big, hairy man-beast, too?" Goldilocks noted. "I wonder what their explanation is for that."

Before either of her siblings could respond, the three felt the air around them start to get chilly. "Hey, what's with the wind?" Gretel asked as her hair began to blow in a sudden gust of snowy breeze.

Slowly, the three stood up and turned around to face the woods, where the source of the mysterious breeze had originated. As they squinted their eyes, they could barely identify several lumbering figures in the woods, approaching them. As they neared, the children realized they were made of ice.

Goldilocks' eyes widened. "It's the Snow Queen!" she exclaimed in horror. "She's come back!"

Hansel gripped her and Gretel's shoulders. "Then we mustn't waste time!" he declared. "We have to warn the rest of the kingdom!" With that, the three turned and dashed down the meadow and back towards the kingdom to alert the rest of the village.

* * *

Belle hadn't stopped thinking about Gerda since the girl had fled the house.

She couldn't imagine what her sister must have been going through, being burdened with such a horrific revelation, and at such a young age. She could hardly believe it to be true herself, and she wondered if Gerda would ever be the same.

She allowed her eyes to wander briefly, and they fell upon the Beast, sitting silently in a corner of the room. Her eyes widened as she realized that she had forgotten about his presence in the light of all that had happened recently.

"Beast," she said, wandering towards him.

The cursed prince was staring out at the window down at the villagers below, his eyes heavy. Slowly, he turned to face Belle, and forced a faint smile. "Yes, Belle?" he asked gently.

"What are you thinking about?" Belle asked, taking a seat next to him.

The Beast let out a soft sigh. "I never thought I'd find myself here," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "In a village, among peasants."

"With all that's happened these past few days, I find it hard to believe that's the most baffling thing about all this," Belle replied, smirking.

"Now that Gerda's friend is back, I just wonder what's left for me now," The Beast said, his eyes hollow. "Do I even belong among these people? Maybe it's for the best if I just returned home-"

Belle gripped his massive paw tightly. "No," she said, cutting him off. "We made a deal. You'd help us rescue Kai, and we'd help you. You've fulfilled your end of the bargain, and so will I. I _will_ see to it that we undo that Snow Queen's curse."

The Beast stared down at Belle, shocked at her proclamation. Slowly, his surprise melted away, and he smiled, and clasped his paw around Belle's hand.

"Belle, I-"

Before he could utter another word, the two were disrupted by the sounds of alarm coming from outside the house. Screams of horror filled their ears, causing the two to dash towards the window. Below them, down in the streets, the two could see the townsfolk in panic, scattering among themselves.

Confused, Belle and the Beast dashed outside the house. "What's going on?" Belle asked the nearest villager, grabbing him by the sleeve as he ran past her.

Before she could get her answer, Belle heard Hansel, Gretel, and Goldilocks scurrying down the roads, shouting at the top of their lungs.

"The Snow Queen is coming!"

"The kingdom is under attack!"

"Everyone get to safety!"

Belle let out a gasp and released the man, who immediately ran off screaming. "The Snow Queen," she whispered in awe, horror dawning upon her.

"We should've known it wouldn't be this easy," The Beast said from behind her, pulling his hood over his head to conceal himself. "Now that she knows Gerda is her daughter, of course she'd come for her."

"What are we going to do?!" One woman asked aloud, stricken in terror.

"We have to run!" Another man suggested.

"We have to hide!" Yet another villager stated.

"We will do nothing of the sort!"

The villagers stopped panicking and turned towards who had spoken. It was none other than Kai's father Thomas, standing atop a crate so that everyone could see him.

"Running like scared hens will do us no good!" Thomas bellowed out to the rest of the town. "This is our kingdom! We have to defend it! If we truly want to save Grimm and our lives, we'll fight this snow witch and her demons with all our strength, and make them regret ever coming here!"

"The man's right!" A young maiden shouted, stepping forth from the crowd. She had blonde hair and was dressed in a red cape, and Belle knew her at once.

"We defeated Queen Rosina, for crying out loud!" The maiden in the red cape stated, standing next to Thomas. "We cannot give up our kingdom so easily! We have to defend ourselves!"

"She's right!" One of the villagers shouted in agreement. "We have to fight!"

"Yeah!" The rest of the townsfolk bellowed. "Fight!"

"Then get every weapon you can find, all of you!" The maiden in red shouted. "And don't waste a moment! Go!"

As the townsfolk scattered, Gerda and Kai arrived. "What's going on?" The redhead asked.

"The kingdom is under attack," Thomas warned her. "I want you and my son in the house now, where it's safe! Before the fighting starts!"

"But father-" Kai started.

"Now, son!" Thomas ordered.

Quickly, Belle raced forward and took Gerda and Kai by the arms. "Do as he says," she whispered, pulling them into the house. "It's not safe."

"But Belle, the Snow Queen is after me," Gerda told her.

"I know," Belle said. "And we're going to make sure she doesn't get you. Don't worry; we'll take care of this." With that, she placed a soft kiss on Gerda's forehead, and with that, she exited the house to join the rest of the townsfolk in the oncoming battle.

Gerda watched her leave, and held onto Kai for comfort. As she did, a soft tear streamed down her cheek.

 _This is all my fault,_ she thought.

* * *

On the outskirts of the kingdom, the Snow Queen looked down at the village. At her side stood an armada of wights, wolves and ruffians.

The Queen's chest heaved heavily, her breath frigid. Her heart thumped rapidly in anxiety.

This was it. Today, for better or worse, all her suffering would finally come to an end. She would either take back her child whom she had searched for tirelessly for over a decade. . . or she would die.

No matter what, this would be the end of her quest.

She raised her arm and pointed an icy finger towards the kingdom. "Attack!" she commanded her army.

And with that, they charged.

* * *

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	41. Onslaught

_Next chapter up. Only about 3 more left._

* * *

Belle and the Beast stood on the outskirts of the town, flanked by rows of villagers armed with pitchforks, arrows, and any other weapons they could use in the upcoming battle. In front of them, Thomas stared up ahead at the hilltops, where the children had said they had seen the Snow Queen.

"Do you see anything up there, Thomas?" Belle's father whispered to him, a pitchfork in his hands. The hillsides were covered in a mysterious fog, making it hard for anyone else to see much of anything. Belle and the Beast knew the Snow Queen had caused it.

"I can definitely see. . . _something_ up there," Thomas replied, narrowing his eyes. "Multiple figures, actually. Too far away for me to know for sure what they are. . ."

"We should fire now!" One skittish villager suggested.

"No!" Thomas shouted back. "We can't waste our arrows now! We have to know for sure what we're up against!" He then turned back to continue watching the hilltops.

"They're getting closer. . ." Thomas reported. "They're tall. . . and there's quite a lot of them. And their skin looks. . . cold."

"It's the Queen's minions," One villager said. "They're heading straight for us."

"And there are animals, too," Thomas added. "I see them. . . they're wolves!"

By now, everyone could see them. In the mists up ahead, dark figures were approaching, and quickly. Some were humanoid in appearance, while others resembled large canines. While no one could tell their exact numbers, there was definitely a lot of them up there.

"They're getting closer!" One man shouted. "Prepare to launch the arrows!"

Just as the first few archers prepared to fire, the beings in the mists stopped in their tracks. They stood, still as a statue, still nothing more than silhouettes in the fog. Immediately, the villagers halted their preparations as well, wary, but curious.

"They've stopped," Belle's father noted to Thomas, who nodded, concerned.

A voice, a whisper yet heard by everything, emerged from the mists. _"Bring me my child."_

It was the voice of the Snow Queen.

A cold shiver ran up the spines of the villagers. There was a tense silence as neither side made a move, the only sound being the howling of the wind.

Then, Belle's father spoke. "We will do no such thing!" He shouted. "No villagers will be taken today! Leave now, and take your demons with you!"

Belle let out a gasp, shocked at her father's abrasiveness. She shared his sentiment - she would fight to the death before she let the Snow Queen take her sister - but she couldn't believe he would speak out against such a powerful force like that.

The howling of the wind only seemed to grow in response, a testament to the Snow Queen's fury. _"So be it!"_ Came the angry reply, and with that, the Queen's forces continued their descent upon the kingdom.

Thomas turned to the other villagers. "This is it!" He shouted. "Archers! Positions!"

Immediately, several archers rushed into place. Taking their bows and arrows, they took aim at the Queen's advancing forces. Next to them, several men took their torches and lit the tips of the arrows aflame.

"Fire!" Thomas ordered. Immediately, the archers let their flaming arrows loose. They soared towards the enemy force, piercing into the cold flesh of the wights and several wolves. The enemy quickly collapsed onto the snowy ground, the arrows sticking out of them.

Even still, more of the Queen's forces continued forward. The archers continued firing; they were careful not to waste their arrows so quickly, only firing when they were sure they had a target and wouldn't miss.

"Come on, keep going," Thomas urged them. "We have to thin them out enough before they reach the kingdom!"

Belle's father sprang up from his spot. "Come on, let's go then!" He encouraged to the other villagers. The townsfolk, armed with melee weapons, rushed forward to face the invading force on the hillside; Belle and the Beast were among them.

At the peak of the hilltops, the Snow Queen watched as the villagers battled her forces. _They're brave,_ she thought to herself. _Won't even give up one child. But I needn't concern myself with them. I have more important matters to attend to._

With the winter winds as her escort, the Snow Queen carried herself above the hills and over the battlegrounds. She soared towards the Kingdom of Grimm, towards the village.

Towards her daughter.

* * *

Gerda stood within Kai's room, staring through the window outside, up at the hillside. Though it was too far away to see, she knew that the fighting had commenced.

She could only close her eyes in dismay. She knew her sister and father were out there, in the thick of the battle, death at their doorstep. While she was touched that they would go to such lengths to protect her, she knew it was a futile effort. The Snow Queen would not be deterred by villagers with simple pitchforks and torches. They may be effective against her forces, but not her.

It would only be a matter of time before the Queen reached the kingdom.

The feeling of Kai's hand resting upon her shoulder snapped Gerda out of her thoughts. "Gerda, my grandmother wants to speak with you," He told her.

Gerda briefly turned to look at him, then turned back to gaze outside. She could see the Snow Queen's windstorm encircling the village; she knew that the Queen was nearby.

"Kai, I don't have time," She said. " _She's_ coming."

"The others will hold her back," Kai reassured her. "Please Gerda, she needs to see you."

Gerda was about to continue protesting, but something about Kai's tone made her stop. He sounded _desperate_ , more than he had ever been.

Something was wrong.

"Alright," Gerda said, turning to Kai. "But we have to be quick."

With that, she took Kai's hand and let him lead her out of the room and to where his grandmother currently was. As she did, Gerda took one last look out the open window, and wondered how much time she truly had left.

How much time the kingdom had left.

However, those thoughts were expelled from her mind when she reached Kai's grandmother's room. She saw the elderly woman lying on her bed, still and motionless, looking more frail than she ever been before. Immediately, a new wave of horror entered Gerda's mind.

"What's happened to her?" She asked, all thoughts on the battle currently taking place just outside the house now being set to the side.

"She's been like this since the Snow Queen arrived," Kai said, his eyes filled with worry.

Gerda stared down at the old woman, wondering for a moment if she was dead. However, her fears were eased, if only slightly, when Kai's grandmother raised her arm towards Gerda, as if beckoning her towards her. Hesitating for a few moments, Gerda stepped forth.

"Dear," Kai's grandmother whispered, her voice low.

"Yes, ma'am?" Gerda said softly, gazing down at the elderly woman. She looked so fragile, just like Kai had been when she rescued him from the Snow Queen's castle.

"You saved my grandson," The old woman said. "Thank you." As she did, she raised her hand and grasped Gerda's shoulder. Gerda did not move.

"The Snow Queen is here," Gerda said after a prolonged silence. "Your son is trying to fight her off, but I don't know if he can. I'm not sure what to do."

Kai's grandmother breathed heavily. "Remember what I told you, Gerda," She told her, her grip on Gerda's shoulder beginning to weaken. "Do what you think is best. And whichever choice you make, remember that God is watching over you." As the words left her mouth, her hand slipped from Gerda's shoulder and hung limply by her side.

Gerda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she did, she felt Kai's hands on her shoulders.

"Well, Gerda?" Kai asked. "What _are_ you going to do?"

For a few moments, Gerda didn't respond.

Finally, she straightened up and opened her eyes. They were filled with fiery determination.

"I have to go out there," She said. "And end this once and for all."

* * *

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	42. Confronting the Queen

_Next chapter up._

* * *

On the hillsides, the people of Grimm battled against the Snow Queen's forces. Neither side was gaining any significant ground; for the time being, the townsfolk had the invaders at an impasse.

Belle and the Beast were side-by-side, the latter tearing through the icy wights as they swarmed him from all sides. "We should have seen the Snow Queen by now!" Belle exclaimed as she struck one of the ruffians away with her pitchfork. "Where is she?"

The Beast was unable to respond; he was too busy wrestling off several wolves that were set upon him. He was on the ground, the wolves snapping at his face viciously. Several townspeople intervened, knocking the wolves off of him, allowing the Beast to sit up.

As he did, he saw it. In the distance, a whirlwind of snow hovered over the Kingdom of Grimm. Specifically, over the village where Gerda was.

"Belle!" He shouted out, horror building as realization dawned upon him. "The Snow Queen is in the village!"

"What?" Belle asked, ducking under the ax swing of one of the ruffians.

"This is all just a distraction!" The Beast bellowed, hurling one of the attacking wolves away. "She's in the village, after Gerda!"

"We must stop her, then!" Belle said. "Before she takes her!"

Breaking away from the battle, the Beast and Belle attempted to rush back to the village. Before they could get far, however, a black mass soared through the air and tackled Belle to the ground, her pitchfork snapping in two.

The Beast whirled around to see the Black Wolf, Belle pinned beneath him. _"You're not going anywhere!"_ The large wolf snarled menacingly, his jaws hanging open and exposing rows of fangs, dripping with saliva.

"Belle, no!" The Beast shouted. He tried to rush towards her, but was pinned down by several wolves and wights.

The Black Wolf leered over Belle, lowering his fangs towards her neck. The young woman could only scream in horror as she felt the wolf's necks prick her flesh.

Suddenly, there was another whirl of black, and Belle felt the pressure upon her be released. Sitting up, she realized that the Black Wolf was no longer pinning her down. She heard the sound of snarling nearby, and turned to see another wolf pinning Black Wolf to the ground.

Before Belle could comprehend what was happening, she heard several arrows pierce flesh, and saw the wolves and wights pinning the Beast fall back as arrows were launched towards them. A girl in red appeared, driving them back with her arrows.

"Go, now!" The large wolf restraining the Black Wolf commanded. "Save your sister!"

Belle paused for only a moment. Then, she turned and pulled the Beast to his feet. "Come on!" She shouted, and the two headed off towards the village as the fighting continued to rage on.

* * *

In the village, the fighting had intensified.

As soon as the Snow Queen had set foot in the town, the village defenses had descended upon her. However, from where she stood, wights arose from the ground to act as her shield. Now, the Queen strode through the village, paying no mind to the fighting raging around her.

The only thing on her mind was Gerda.

She knew where she was. Even without seeing her, the Snow Queen could feel her presence. It grew stronger as she walked, closer and closer, towards the house she was no doubt hiding within.

As she neared it, a feeling of lightness washed over her. For the first time since the battle had started, she smiled.

It wouldn't be long now.

Suddenly, the Snow Queen felt something large and powerful collide with her, throwing herself onto the ground. Looking up, she saw the Beast looming over her, breathing heavily.

"You!" The Snow Queen roared, anger shoving out the light feeling. There, the source of her pain, the being responsible for her quest spanning over a decade, stood before her, and the sight of him alone caused hatred to come flooding into her.

"You've gotten between me and my child for the last time!" She shouted, springing to her feet. Immediately, the Beast was thrown into the air by a gust of cold wind. Pinned against the nearest house, the Beast was slowly frozen, encased in a barrier of ice.

"Leave the child alone!" The Beast groaned out, in spite of his pain. "Leave Grimm alone!"

"I've worked too hard!" The Snow Queen shouted. "Too hard just to let her slip through my fingers. That child is my whole reason for still being her. I cannot leave until she is with me again!"

Out of the corner of the Snow Queen's eye, she caught sight of Belle, approaching her, sword in hand. Whirling around, the Snow Queen brutally struck Belle to the ground, the sword being flung from her grasp. "Stay out of this!" She shouted down at the dazed maiden. She pointed a finger at her, the tip of it glowing with ice.

"Belle, no!" The Beast shouted. With a burst of strength, he smashed through the ice encasing him, dropping from the side of the house. Quickly, he rushed towards the two women.

As the Snow Queen fired her ice blast at the stunned Belle, the Beast dove between the two. The blast of ice struck him in the shoulder, and he immediately collapsed onto the ground.

"Beast!" Belle shouted out. Quickly, she rushed to his side and pressed her hands against his shoulder, which was frozen solid, along with his arm.

The Beast groaned, pain burning within him. He gritted his fangs together, but willed himself to look up at the Snow Queen, into her cold eyes.

"I'm. . . sorry."

The Snow Queen continued to simply stare down at him, her expression unreadable, but he continued on. "I'm sorry for what you've become. Everything that's happened, all of it. . . it's my fault. Please, don't take it out on this Kingdom and its people. I'm the one to blame." Every word was a struggle to get out, each one feeling like a stab to his heart, but he wouldn't let it stop him.

For a second, he thought he saw a flicker of change in the Queen's expression, but it returned to its emotionless state.

"Kill me if you want, but please leave Grimm alone," He pleaded.

The Snow Queen blinked, then took a deep breath, before finally speaking. "Sorry, but it's too late for that," She said, her tone cold. She was about to turn away from him and Belle when a voice cut through her ears.

"Agathe."

The Snow Queen froze up. Whirling around, she saw _her._

Her daughter. Her lost child. The person she had spent years searching for.

Gerda.

The redhead stood at open door of the house, Kai by her side, the two of them locking hands with each other. The two of them were staring at the Snow Queen, their faces filled with determination.

As Gerda and the Snow Queen's eyes met, everything around them went still. The wights ceased their assault on the townsfolk, and the snowy whirlwind protecting the Queen evaporated. The townsfolk stopped fighting as well, and merely stared at the Queen in confusion.

After a few moments of silence, the Snow Queen spoke. "Gerda," She whispered, and her lips curled into a smile, her eyes widened, as if hypnotized. Slowly, she walked towards the redhead, all thoughts of the Beast almost entirely gone.

To everyone's shock, Gerda and Kai walked towards her.

"Gerda, no," Belle whispered, stretching her arm out futilely. "What are you doing?"

"Gerda," The Snow Queen repeated, stretching her arms out, as if not believing what she was seeing. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, her mouth hanging open in a widened smile.

"Agathe," Gerda replied calmly as she continued walking towards the Queen. "I know why you're here."

"Of course you do," the Queen replied. "I came here for you."

"I also know what happened to you," Gerda said. She paused for a moment, and said, "It's time."

"You're right," The Snow Queen said, stopping inches away from Gerda. Extending her arm, she said, "It's time to come home."

"No."

The Snow Queen froze. Her arm, extended towards Gerda, faltered. "What?" She whispered, looking genuinely taken aback.

"I cannot go with you," Gerda said calmly. "My home is here, in Grimm, with my family."

The Snow Queen stared down at Gerda, her eyes widened. "B-But you must!" She said, her voice rising. "I've waited my life for this moment! I've spent years searching for you! I can't just throw it all away!"

"You are my mother," Gerda spoke, unfazed. "And I am your daughter! But my _family_ is here, in Grimm. My father, my sister." She paused for a few moments, then added, "Kai."

The Snow Queen glanced towards Kai for a moment. The boy, the effects of frostbite still visible on his face, spoke up. "Snow Queen. . . Agathe. . . you've spent so long searching for your daughter," He said. "But didn't you ever realize that when you found her, you'd only be taking her away from her home? That she had her own life? That she couldn't just give it all up?"

"But she's all I have left to live!" The Snow Queen shouted, her eyes starting to glow. The snow around her began to lift up and swirl around her in a small blizzard as her frustration boiled over. Gerda and Kai stepped back a bit from the sudden show of force.

"No, she's not!" A voice called out. All heads turned to the source of whoever had spoken. It was Aisley.

"Snow Queen, you have your whole life left!" Aisley shouted, walking towards her. "You can't just give it all up!"

"But I. . ." The Snow Queen said, gritting her teeth. "But then what was all of this for?!"

"Agathe!" Gerda shouted, turning her mother's attention back to her. "You're not alone. You have a family. You have people waiting for you back home. I know."

There was a flash in the Snow Queen's eyes, as if she had seen - remembered - someone. "But it's been so long," She said, her voice so low it was practically a hiss. "And we parted ways so hatefully. . ."

"They still care about you," Gerda said. Slowly, she took the Snow Queen's hand in her own. "And. . . _I_ care about you. And I won't abandon you."

She locked eyes with the Snow Queen, and as they gazed into each other's eyes, Gerda thought she saw someone else in the Queen's eyes. Someone unrecognizable, yet familiar.

Slowly, the Snow Queen collapsed onto her knees, as if carrying a huge weight that had finally overpowered her. The moment she was at Gerda's height, the redhead let go of Kai and, gently, wrapped her arms around her mother.

For several moments, nobody moved. It was as if everyone was frozen. The only sound was that of the Snow Queen's broken and heavy breathing.

And then, as Gerda held onto her, she felt a change. She no longer felt iciness and cold from her mother.

Rather, she felt _warm._

* * *

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	43. Thawed

_Alright, here we go. Story is finally coming to a close now._

* * *

In the fields overlooking the kingdom, the fighting has ceased. Everything had become still.

The wights, the puppets for the Snow Queen, had suddenly frozen where they stood, halting their assault. Seeing this, the wolves and ruffians had ceased fighting as well, confusion and worry flourishing through them. Had something happened to the Queen?

Then, without warning, the wights dropped the ground, as if some unseen force holding them up had released them. Everyone around them stumbled in confusion as the wights collapsed in a heap on the snow, lifeless once more.

The rest of the Snow Queen's forces began to falter. Seeing the wights fall caused the thought that the Snow Queen had been harmed, or worse, killed, to ripple through them. Their courage began to fail, and they could only stand in confusion.

Seeing that the enemy had, at least for the moment, given up, Belle's father turned towards the village. He'd seen Belle and the Beast fall back towards that area, and he knew the Snow Queen had gotten past their defenses. Putting two-and-two together, he realized that whatever had caused the wights to fall, his daughter and that monster were likely involved.

And so, without a word to Thomas or the others, he rushed towards the village.

* * *

When Gerda looked down at the woman holding onto her, she didn't see the Snow Queen.

The woman holding her didn't have snow-white hair; rather, it was a dull red, similar to her own. Her skin wasn't an icy pale anymore; rather, it was rosy and sun-kissed. But most of all, she didn't feel cold. She felt warm.

There was no doubt that the woman she was holding wasn't the Snow Queen. It was her mother, Agathe.

The red-headed woman opened her eyes and, slowly, rose to her feet. As she felt the villagers all staring at her, she looked at her hands and saw that they weren't pale anymore. It was only then that she noticed her altered appearance as she ran her hands through her once-white hair, gazing at her now crimson locks.

Gerda watched her silently, feeling like she was currently staring at a child who'd discovered something new. But for Agathe, being restored to her true self likely was something new.

It was probably something she had never thought possible.

After nearly a minute, Agathe turned to stare at her daughter. And she _smiled._

And for the first time, it felt truly genuine.

". . . Gerda," Agathe whispered, and before the girl knew it, she was in midair, her mother having lifted her off the icy ground. The woman twirled around, laughter escaping her throat, and she pressed Gerda close to her bosom, relishing the feeling of warmth she hadn't felt in years. Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto the ground softly.

A few feet away, Belle and the Beast watched, conflicted feelings racing internally. As they saw the strange woman lovingly embrace Belle's sister, they could only think: _this was the Snow Queen?_

But for Kai, there was no such conflict. Racing joyously towards the two, he gripped onto the Snow Queen's wrist, signalling for her to set Gerda down. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around his friends, and slowly turned to stare up at the Queen, his smile fading.

For a few moments, he simply gazed softly up at the woman who had held him prisoner. The former Snow Queen said nothing, but the remorseful look in her eyes spoke volumes.

Finally, Kai smiled. "It's really you," He whispered. "You _are_ back, Agathe."

Agatha smiled softly, but timidly.

"Gerda!"

All heads whipped towards the sound of the cry. The crowd parted as Gerda and Belle's father rushed into the middle of the area, nearly slipping on the ice in his haste.

"Gerda, you're safe!" He cried, enveloping his daughter in a protective hug. After a few moments, he took notice of the strange woman standing by his side, and narrowed his eyes, whispering, "Gerda, who is this woman?"

". . . She's my mother," Gerda answered after a moment's hesitation.

Gerda's father's eyes widened in shock. Agatha stared at him, hesitantly, then whispered, "Nice to meet you."

". . . Did I miss something?" The man whispered, confused. His bafflement only grew at the small giggle Gerda made in response.

Nearby, Belle had set the Beast up against the wall of Kai's house. The ice that had encased his shoulder had began to melt ever since the Snow Queen had reverted back into Agathe, but it was still sore. He continued to breath heavily, feeling like his insides had been frozen over.

"At least. . . your sister is safe," He whispered, in spite of his pain.

Belle smiled. "That was very brave, what you did," She whispered, rubbing a hand over his wounded area.

"Which one?" The Beast asked, half-jokingly. "Taking the bullet, or swallowing my pride?"

"Both," Belle replied.

It was then that the two noticed a shadow looming over them, and they looked up to see Agathe staring down at them. The two immediately flinched; they hadn't even seen her approach.

The redhead stared down at them, specifically the Beast, her smile gone. For the first time since she had transformed, the two saw the remnant of the icy queen she once was in her eyes.

"Prince," She whispered coldly.

". . . Yes?" The Beast asked.

"Did you. . . really mean that?" She asked.

It took a few moments for the Beast to realize what she was referring to. "Yes," He replied, sincerely. "I'm sorry for what has. . . for what _had_. . . become of you."

Kneeling down onto her knees, Agathe whispered, "Many years ago, I told you that the only way to undo your curse was to learn to love another human being, and earn their love in return. I didn't realize, then, that I was referring to the both of us."

Placing a hand on the Beast's shoulder, she whispered, "So, have you found that human being?"

For a few moments, the Beast remained silent. Then, he turned to Belle and whispered, "I think I have."

Agatha's smile returned. Raising her arm, she pressed the palm of her hand against the Beast's face. Slowly, the fur covering his body began to fade. The horns protruding from the top of his skull slowly shrunk down into his skull. His fangs dwindled in size and sharpness until they were ordinary teeth. And his eyes, once yellow and wolfish, changed into a soft blue.

Within moments, the Beast had disappeared. In his place was a normal man.

When the Snow Queen let him go, Belle jumped backwards not recognizing the person standing before her. But within moments, she realized that the man she was staring at was none other than the Beast himself.

He was no longer a Beast. The curse had been lifted.

With wobbly legs, the Prince got to his feet. Staring down at his hands, which were no longer clawed, he then raised his gaze up to Belle. "Belle. . ." He whispered, in utter awe. "I'm-"

"You've changed!" Belle shouted with joy, practically tackling the Prince in a hug. "You're you again!"

After getting over the initial shock, the Prince returned the hug. "Thanks to you," He whispered, smiling gratefully.

Agathe watched them, giggling softly to herself. As she heard footsteps behind her, she turned around to see Gerda, Kai and Aisley approach her.

"You know, Agathe," Kai said, scratching the back of his head. "You could stay here. Now that you're no longer the Snow Queen, anymore."

Agatha's expression shifted as she seemed to consider Kai's offer. But eventually, she frowned and softly shook her head. "No," She whispered, looking truly pained. "I have people back home who I need to see. People I haven't seen in many years." She gazed off into the distance, in the direction of her home.

Gerda frowned. "Oh," She said sadly. "Well, I hope I get to see you again, mother."

"You will, my child," Agathe replied softly. "You will."

Turning to Aisley, Agathe whispered, "And as for you, it's time you got home to your real parents." She extended her hand, and Aisley took it.

"Farewell, Gerda," The former Robber Girl said, smiling brightly at her and Kai. "I'll see you again soon. And also; thank you. For everything."

Gerda nodded silently in response, and with that, Agathe and Aisley departed.

* * *

 _One Month Later_

Ever since the Snow Queen's invasion of Grimm had been successfully halted, the kingdom had become rather quiet. Hardly anyone knew what had become of the Snow Queen's forces; after her departure, the wolves and ruffians had simply. . . vanished.

Some said that since Agathe was no longer queen, her kingdom had been effectively dismantled; her ruffians had gone back to being simple woodsmen, and her wolves gone back to mere woodland animals. Word had also spread that her kingdom of ice was no more, and in its place, a valley of lush green.

For Gerda, that news was the best she could have hoped to hear. She was happy that, after so many years under a cold reign, the Snow Queen's home had a chance to finally move on, like she had. Perhaps she would even visit that place in the future; hopefully under less stressful conditions.

But for now, she was content to simply be home.

"Gerda, come on!" Kai was calling out to her from a distance away. "Hansel, Gretel and Goldilocks said they wanted to show us something."

"I'm coming, Kai!" She replied, racing after him.

Kai's grandmother had passed away the same night Agathe and her army left Grimm. It had been a sad event for both him and Thomas, especially after he had been separated from them for so long. But the blow was softened by Kai at the very least being there to watch her pass on peacefully. And regardless of whatever sadness he felt, he hadn't let it damage him.

He was still the same friend Gerda had grown up with all these years.

As Gerda followed Kai into the fields overlooking the kingdom, she saw their friends waving at them from the top. To her surprise, she also saw Belle and the former Prince - who they'd come to know as Adam - standing nearby as well. The two were resting their hands on Wynter, watching as Gerda and Kai approached.

"Gerda, you won't believe it!" Goldilocks called out to them as they arrived on the fields.

"What is it?" Gerda asked, confused at her friends' unusual giddiness today.

Taking Gerda's hand in her own, Goldilocks pointed up afar and said, "See for yourself."

Glancing up to where Goldilocks was pointing, Gerda let out a gasp. There, standing at the edge of the forest overlooking the kingdom, was Agathe. She was half-concealed in shadows, but it was still undeniably her.

And she wasn't alone, either. Aisley was with her, with what appeared to be her parents accompanying her. And on the other side of Agathe were the two elderly women Gerda had met on her journey.

Agathe's mother and aunt.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Agathe asked playfully, noting her daughter's shocked expression. "I said we'd see each other again, didn't I?"

After getting over the initial shock, Gerda smiled. "Mother!" She said, rushing forward and embracing Agathe. The older redhead was quick to return the hug.

Gerda felt a withered hand touch her shoulder, and turned to see the Finnish women looking down at her warmly. "Thank you, granddaughter," She whispered, holding her shoulder. "For everything."

"Your welcome," Gerda replied, giving a slight nod.

Aisley approached. "Aw, what a touching reunion," She said, half-mockingly. "But getting to the point; is there anything _valuable_ in this kingdom? Any gold, jewels?"

"If you want those, you can check my former castle," Adam replied. "It's got a lifetime's worth of 'em."

"Maybe another time, princey," Aisley said, smirking. "But today, we're here for the _real_ valuables."

"Oh?" Gerda asked, feeling a hint of suspicion. "And what's that?"

Aisley closed her eyes for a moment, and when she reopened them, they were filled with warmth and friendship. "I wanted to introduce my parents to Grimm, the place where my first friends came from."

Gerda's smile returned to her. "Well then you haven't wasted your time," She said, taking Aisley's hand. "Come on, and show all of you the kingdom. I'll tell you all the wonderful and scary tales from here as well!"

"Sounds fun!" Aisley said as she and the others followed Gerda back to the kingdom.

"You'll love my friends, too!" Gerda said. "In fact, one of them's been writing a book series! With a little convincing, maybe you can get her to write one about our little adventure!"

"Really?" Aisley said, awed. "And what's the series called?"

Gerda's smile grew before replying.

"Grimms' Fairy Tales."

* * *

 _The End._

* * *

 _Finally, after over a year, it's finished. I hope this was a satisfying follow-up to the original._

 _Farewell._


End file.
